Dancing with Demons
by Daystar Clarion
Summary: Growing up with a pack of Demons is easy, especially when the older he gets, the more a demon Naruto becomes. But when the pack is killed by shinobi, Naruto vows revenge by learning to use his ever growing Chakra. Meeting team Seven, his journey begins.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Daystar Clarion does not own Naruto

**Summary: Growing up with a pack of Demons is easy, especially when the older he gets, the more a demon Naruto becomes. But when the pack is killed by shinobi, Naruto vows revenge by learning to use his ever growing Chakra. Meeting team Seven, his journey begins.**

**Dancing with Demons**

**By Daystar Clarion**

**Rated T**

Prologue

He supposed the first word out of his mouth had not been mommy or daddy, mainly because they never said any such words to him as a young child, but a more endearing word.

Hungry.

It was something they understood, being hungry, and though the blonde toddler had not said the word right, they still understood what he meant. Stealing goats had become tiresome, and the human child had long ago begun to show signs of wanting more than just goat milk.

So they had to feed him something with more substance.

The four demons hovered over the naked toddler and contemplated on what to give him. Tsorn, of brown earthy skin and blood encrusted jaws, said they should have done what they had wanted to do in the beginning, and eat the child. Spayt being the youngest of the group, the same race of demon as the others- but smaller in stature, crooned against the idea as always, claiming their human pet could be useful one day. Krik, the self proclaimed leader, not by size- but in brains, agreed, however mostly because he alone had spent countless hours licking away at the seal that covered the infants' stomach, trying to draw out the Master demon that he sensed just below the surface.

Tkaa showed nothing of his opinions, whether he just didn't care or had some other agenda, they did not know.

What they did know was that they were hungry, and like the human child, it was time to eat. Krik scooped the toddler up in one large hand as the others shifted on their large clawed feet before leaping into the trees. Krik glanced down at the blonde human child, grimaced at its baby fine hair that he spent so much time licking, to his blue eyes that his own yellow ones spent so much time gazing into. The child really had potential, he knew this, even when he occasionally wanted to eat it too. But that's what made him smarter than the others. At least Tsorn and Spayt. Tkaa remained an enigma.

It was time for the human child to enter a new chapter of its short existence, a rebirth, so to speak. He was about to ascend to the very top of the food chain, because for their kind, there was nothing tastier than the flesh of humans. Their diet consisted of all types of meat, from insects to bears, and they would eat just about any animal. But human flesh was the delicacy they dared eat, and Krik could smell the demon somewhere hidden in this pale pink body. A Greater Demon, a Master beyond what they were, and such greatness deserved the flesh of humans. After so much time spent licking the seal until the child's skin began to chafe and become raw, he was rewarded with a certain understanding. The less human things the child did, the weaker the seal became.

Krik brunched his powerful haunches, gripping the toddler in one hand, and made a leap into the trees, heading for the next human encampment.

They were going human hunting.

**TBC**

**AN: The likely-hood that this will have any pairings is very slim, almost even doubtful.**


	2. The Toddler Sun

**Chapter One**

**The Toddler Sun**

Hunting humans was always a risky ordeal, since humans for the most part, are intelligent creatures. Of course, there were the humans that were stupid enough to eat, and those were the ones they always got.

When it came to human hunting, they always managed to get at least three to four of them because it was easier to use the _Lure_ in a wider scale than to focus it on one individual. The _Lure_ was the use of their first and secondary vocal cords, sending out sound waves at two different octaves, one like a drone, and the other at a frequency too high for the human ears to hear. The higher octave was riddled with subliminal messages, usually consisting of the same sentences, _'Come into the forest, something is there. Something amazing.'_ The lower, more audible drone, was for their actual ears, so that it was easy to get more than one prey when they all could hear the same sound. Often enough, they managed to attract the male humans, due to the fact that human females were much more cautious and males being much more curious of the unknown.

Today they were outside a small settlement of humans that worked the earth, which was perfect for hunting because young human males often wished for adventure and intrigue that their dull earth working lives had so far not provided for them. Krik, Tkaa, and Tsorn hovered just behind the forest edge in the copse of trees, singing the _Lure_ and waiting for their food to walk up to them. Spayt hung back with the human child, who now knew how to walk, even though he spent more of that time crawling. Forest terrain was not a steady flat surface a toddler needs to learn the ways of moving upright. He was only about two human years now, and was still as dumb as they were at that age.

Immediately he was attracted to the call. Though his brain was still too smooth to understand the subliminal messages, he waddled from behind Spayt and carefully picked his way on unsteady feet to where the call was coming from, slipping around some brush and knettle to make his small sojourn. Finally, he came upon Krik whose powerful jaws were open and giving off the wonderful noise.

Feeling something soft at his knee, Krik glanced down and seemed startled to see the human child standing next to him, blue eyes upon him and waiting.

"Spayt!" he snapped, breaking off in his _Lure_. "Get the human child away from here you wastrel!"

Spayt rushed forward and grabbed the toddler, heading farther into the trees. Moments later, five humans appeared, eyes wide and pupils dilated.

"Do you hear that?" one youth asked, staring straight through the hungry Krik . The other humans made no reply, only continued to walk forward.

Tkaa and Tsorn stopped singing, allowing the humans to leave the trance. Eyes widened, mouths opened, lungs filled with air, and the screaming commenced.

Grumbling to himself, Spayt glanced down at the human child that sat on his foot, gnawing on a twig with eyes riveted on the thicket where screams of terror and pain arose. The toddler was used to hearing these noises since the pack had always taken him on the hunts, whether it be animal or human. The child was also growing teeth- only two so far- but enough that it felt that it had to chew on anything that didn't move on its own.

Spayt lifted his head and sniffed at the bloody aroma that wafted in the air and hoped that the others would bring his share soon.

As if summoned, the others came through, Tkaa holding two corpses while Krik and Tsorn carried one each. Tkaa dropped the human in front of Spayt, who hungrily grabbed a meaty leg and pulled it from the rest of the body with an audible pop and tearing. The human child stopped chewing on his twig as he watched the others tear into the bodies, powerful jaws crunching down on bone and sinew, blood dripping down necks and on naked chests.

They were eating!

"Hungry," the child gurgled, drawing Krik's attention. The word was barely understood by the demons simply because the child did not have the vocal cords to say most of their words. The language of the Demons could be called guttural, angry, sharp- and impossible for a human to repeat due to the fact that the words were often laced with clicks, hisses, and many other sounds while words were being said. Words that were impossible to say without a second set of vocal cords. But the child had managed 'hungry' because it was more of a growl and Spayt said it often enough that the human child managed to pick up its meaning.

Krik picked up the torso of his own meal and scooped out the heart with his talons, completely ravaging the chest cavity of the human. Dropping the body, he sauntered over to where the toddler sat and dropped the heart into its waiting hands.

The Child was puzzled. Usually it received the white warm liquid that it had enjoyed so much until not too long ago. Now it craved something more. But instead of getting what it expected, it got a large, warm, red oozing thing that was sort of heavy. The child blinked and glanced up at Spayt, who by noticing the toddlers gaze, scooped out his own heart and slowly bit into it.

All yellow eyes on him, the toddler lifted the heavy muscle to his small mouth and began to gnaw on the heart.

And continued to gnaw.

Satisfaction.

The child had tasted flesh, and approved. He would live; Tsorn was loath to agree- but the evidence was secure, as was now the child's life.

The blond child never went through the 'terrible twos' stage, but it leaked over into the terrible threes. His third year of life marked his great change and the fact that he was finally significant in the pack's lives enough that they got tired of calling him the 'human child' and wanted to give him a proper name.

So what to call him.

It was hard to give the human a formidable or intimidating name due to the fact that at three he couldn't scare kittens. Something endearing was out of the question for there was no way they were going to call him something cute. Spayt stood amongst them as they crouched in thought, all of them racking their brains for a suitable name that wouldn't make them gag or snicker.

"His hair is like the sun…" Tkaa murmured in deep thought. "Too shiny.."

Krik looked up at the sun that shimmered above the canopy, and grinned.

"Then it's settled. We will call him Sun."

The others managed a grimaced- though their facial structures allowed limited movement and sighed in agreement. Krik stared down at the naked toddler that sat in the middle of the circle, staring and attempting to touch a brown spider that crawled amongst the leaves in a frantic flurry.

"Sun."

The blond child looked up and grinned at them. He had more teeth now, enough that he didn't have the urge to gnaw on everything that fit in his mouth. He did still have the habit of putting things in it though, but they were pleased enough to know that he was quick to figure out what disgusted him. Peppermint leaves were a joy, while wild raspberries were a nightmare. He enjoyed spiders, crickets, grasshoppers, and butterflies (when he was quick enough to catch one), but absolutely hated snails and slugs.

Sun was improving daily, intellectually and physically; he spent more time walking than crawling, but still had a few major faults that irked his caretakers. As demons, it was in their biological makeup that all food consumed was used or else stored as energy in case later needed. This allowed them to go weeks without food and remain healthy and not suffer from malnutrition. It also meant that they did not create waste, did not urinate or produce fecal matter. But Sun did on a daily basis, managed to crap where he sat and piss where he stood. It was a nightmare for them, even with two years experience. It was worse for Krik, who spent more time cleaning and taking care of Sun than the rest. The only solace he had was that he was aware that at some time in the human's life span, they began to clean up after themselves. He just didn't know _when. _

Another thing that annoyed them was Sun's need to sleep. They didn't need to sleep, their body was constantly trying to work at optimum level. Their only need was that for a few hours a week they needed to sit and relax, loosen up the body and preferably not move. Not doing this could lead to energy depletion which could be catastrophic. The only time they did lose consciousness, was if they were badly hurt or knocked out.

But Sun spent many hours of the day sleeping, and if he wasn't sleeping, he was annoying them. All day was spent climbing on them, pulling on their arms and legs, soiling himself, and saying 'hungry' and other pointless half formed words in their language. After a time they settled into the knowledge that they would probably spend a decade with his human behavior. The only thing that separated Sun from other humans was his ability to consume raw meat without suffering some type of ailment. Sun ate the humans and animals they provided for him with a gusto, even if they had to mash some of the tougher meat in their jaws before they gave it to him. Things were difficult at times, but Sun had settled into their lives and was less a burden and more of a pack member.

But on a rather cloudy morning near the end of the season where the leaves turned orange, brown, and red, and the snow falls from the sky, things began to change.

It started with his apparent agitation as he tried to sleep while they _rested_ amongst the great elk trees in a rather non-human area of the country. Sun tossed and turned on the pile of leaves he was laying on. Tsorn glanced over to see the toddler toss and turn, rubbing his eyes and looking incensed by something. By morning, they turned to see the child sitting on his pile of leaves, and staring at nothing. He usually was playing, or bugging them about food. His eyes were now watery and red-rimmed; an unhappy headache had clearly mounted along with an earache in both ears. His nose was stuffed and his throat felt raw and ached terribly. Sun rubbed his eyes and felt hot tears cascade down cherubic cheeks.

"What's the matter Sunny?" Spayt asked, knowing that half the words the child would not understand. But as he said them, Sun gave a shriek and covered his red ears, bawling in misery. Krik came over and sniffed the child over.

"What's wrong with him?" Tsorn asked, coming over to inspect the wails. "Has he come down with some human ailment?"

"Dunno," Krik murmured as he watched the toddler crawl away from them.

For an hour he remained that way, his back to them as he silently cried, and even ignored their calls when Krik brought the carcass of a doe to the area so they could dine.

Another hour went by when the coughing started, dry, ugly, coughs that made the small body spasm and shudder. Krik returned to him and wondered at the scent of blood. Was the child injured? Perhaps he was suffering from some type of human infection. He knew that if a human was injured and did not treat their wounds, they reddened, oozed, and stank until the human suffered from fever and dies. That was why they always killed them quickly when they intended to dine. Leaving a human alive for any period of time always attracts attention.

Krik grabbed one of Sun's chubby legs and lifted the toddler up side down, examining his pink naked flesh for some kind of wound. But all he found were small scratches from branches and twigs, all of which were well on their way to healing.

Oh, and a very upset toddler.

Sun squawked and began to cry loudly, loud enough to annoy their sensitive ears. Between the wails and the hacking coughs, the pack was beginning to feel pretty nervous over the toddler. Krik gently placed Sun back on the ground and began to notice that along with everything else, the child's eyes were beginning to swell shut and he was wheezing.

Tkaa lowered his head to the small chest and grumbled, "He's having a hard time breathing."

"Maybe he _is_ dying…" Spayt murmured mournfully, and the pack lifted its head collectively and stared at Krik, waiting for him to make a decision. Krik's eyes remained on Sun.

"We'll wait a day. If he shows no signs of recovery, I'll _Lure_ a human here to fix him." He then scooped the wheezing child into his arms and cradled him, some thing he had never done before. But he had seen human females do that to their young in a hopes of comfort.

By the next morning, Sun had stopped crying and coughing all together, but his eyes were swollen shut, his ears were bleeding, and they barely managed to get water down a throat that was almost swollen shut. His skin was flushed hot, but after a time he had stopped shaking completely and simply lay limp in their arms.

During this time, they managed to find a cave that a bear was going to hibernate in; Krik ate the massive beast alone, for he needed the extra energy for the sprint he was about to make over the many leagues it would take to make it to the nearest human settlement.

The only thing Yumi regretted in a life full of good things was that she was unable to attend the Stone Ninja Academy and become a medic Nin like she had dreamed. Her father could not afford much after her mother had died, and the romantic that he was would not allow him to remarry. With the income of one person there were many things the two had to go without, and though it was much too late to start that kind of training now, she had to admit she still harbored secret desires of becoming a shinobi medic.

But now, at nineteen, she was ready to leave the nest and get at least the medical training she desired, even if it didn't include molding chakra. Gods, how she wished she could use such skills as she had seen one day when some injured Stone shinobi had come through. Seeing their medic Nin run a hand along her teammates wounds had been awe-inspiring. Oh how she wished she cuold do something like that.

Yumi smiled. The second best thing to do was hit the capitol and learn at a real school. Most of her teenage years were spent apprenticing to local herbalists, apothecaries, bonesetters, and anyone who knew a thing about the human body. Hopefully all the knowledge she had gained during the years she could have spent frolicking or at least acquiring a boyfriend was going to be useful.

Yumi packed the last of her bags and turned to her father, who was leaning in the doorway, weathered face twisted with pain and happiness.

"Oh daddy, don't give me that look. I'll be back in no time." Her father was taking her departure a little harder than she had hoped.

"No no," he said with a dramatic sniff. "Your old man will be alright. He'll just let his little angel fly off into the horizon, never to be seen again…"

Yumi sighed and gave him one last hug.

"Don't be silly dad. I'll write every week so you'll know what's up. _And_ I'll try to visit during the breaks. I'll be alright," she said as she pulled away from him. "Trust me."

Takezo sighed and rubbed his grizzled cheeks.

"It's not so much that you'll be leaving as you'll be making that long dangerous trip alone!"

Yumi blinked in surprise. "No I'm not. Shirow is also on his way to Stone. He's going to escort me on the way!" Yumi glanced down at her watch. "Which reminds me, I'm late in meeting him."

"Well in that case," her father said with a laugh as he began to push her towards the door, "Don't hesitate to write! Bye, my little butterfly!"

Yumi chuckled as she threw him a quick kiss and ran down the steps, her packs jingling on her back.

"Bye Dad!" she called, waving at him as she ran down the road toward Shirow's house. She took a deep breath and exhaled in excitement. This very moment marked the beginning of a new life, a new-

_Please help! Please help me! My child is dying!_

Yumi spun on her heel, eyes darting around the dusty street. Only a few people were out, going about their business and not paying her any mind.

_What?_ Her brain tried to process the call. Someone's child was hurt-

_Someone please help me! I don't think he'll last any longer! I need a doctor!_

That was her call!

As if only her feet knew where to go, Yumi charged down an alley, jumping over discarded boxes and dodging trashcans as she emerged onto a street and continued her mad charge toward the source of the desperate call. She barely even noticed as she left the village and raced past farmer Ito's rice fields. It wasn't until a branch smacked her forcefully in the face that awareness returned to the woman, and she collapsed painfully to her knees. Sucking in great gasps of air she vowed never to run that way again. She couldn't ever recall running so recklessly in her life before!

Yumi turned and made sure her pack full of clothing and medicinal objects were still with her as she rubbed her stinging cheek_. Stupid branch-_

Yumi's head snapped up, brown eyes widening as she took in the thick forest area surrounding her.

"How in the hell-" A large thump behind her startled the youth as she spun around. She gasped.

Finally! A human had responded to his call. Using the _Lure_ to capture one person was tricky; using the _Lure_ to capture a person with specific traits was hard. He wasn't sure if he would attract just one person or several people who practiced the art of healing. But lucky enough for him, he managed to capture a talented female, one which was already packed and ready to go. The female must have responded to his call immediately because its brown hair was tossed around its person, and a sheen of sweat had graced its pale skin. However…that could possibly have something to do with his presence.

Krik did not have time to waste. Reaching out and grabbing the small female by its arm, he winced as the human started to scream in terror. A quick knuckle to the head shut it up quickly, and Krik swung it on his broad back. The trip back was going to be annoying, but hopefully this human would make Sunny better.

If not, they will eat it.

If so…well, they would still eat it.

Shirow approached the door nervously and knocked, switching feet as he waited for Yumi's father to open the door. There was a grunt, then the sound of locks being released, and Takezo's weathered face and body appeared as he blinked blearily at the youth.

"Shirow. What are you doing here? I though you were going to escort Yumi to Stone?" He rubbed his eyes and came fully awake.

Shirow glanced nervously behind himself and swallowed.

"Yes…about that. I was hoping that Yumi was late…and that she was still here..?" But judging by the blood that was draining from her father's face, that was a negative.

"B-But she left two hours ago…" he whispered, eyes beginning to glaze over.

Shirow rubbed her forehead and sighed.

"She never showed up."

He had to quickly catch the older man as he slumped to the floor.

**TBC**

**A/N: Sun and son are not said the same in the language of the Demons. I won't spend time describing what Krik, Spayt, Thorn, or Tkaa look like- one because I'm lazy, and two- they won't be there for too long. But if you're dying to know what they look like, I'd easily say that they highly resemble the demons from** **_Blood: The Last Vampire. _If you haven't seen that, you can easily google the images.**


	3. Life's Little Changes

_**Dancing with Demons**_

**Chapter 2**

**Life's Little Changes**

Yumi awakened, and was surprised by that fact alone. She expected that her scream had been her last breath, her last anything, and yet here she was, awake somehow on the cold stone ground. She grunted and shifted, realizing her left arm was numb, so she pulled it out from under her. Blinking several times she managed to sit up and brush the hair out of her face to inspect her surroundings. After about two seconds, she wished she had stayed unconscious. She was sitting in what looked like a rocky cave, a rather large one in fact, that rose quite high with rocky fissures and the like. She was sitting near the mouth of the cave, and could see surrounding forest about her, almost concealed by a heavy sheet of rain that made the view a dreary gray. But that wasn't what upset her. What did was the four monsters that stood about twenty feet from her.

They were about nine feet in height, with brown leathery like skin and round yellow eyes. Their arms and legs were long, their hands and feet large, and laced with claws that looked like they could rend flesh easily. They had short muzzles that did little to hide the large pointy teeth that lay within them. Surprisingly they wore some type of loincloth that almost blended with their skin, so thankfully she didn't have to know what gender they were on first glance. But did it matter? They were obviously going to eat her!

Yumi held back tears. One moment she was heading out to fulfill her dreams, the next staring death in the face. Where did she go wrong? She knew one thing though, this would surely kill her father. Wiping away angry tears, she glared at the beasts and noticed that they weren't moving. Their eyes were on her, but they did not blink, or twitch one of those sturdy muscles. They seemed like statues, frozen and inanimate. Then one, who was slightly behind the others, shifted its head and took a step forward.

Yumi crabwalked backwards frantically, and gave a shriek as she stumbled over- her packs? Why the hell were those here? She was sure she had left them there on the forest floor…

But now the monster was walking toward her; she noticed how its clawed feet made no sound as it moved. Yumi backed all the way to the far wall and bumped into the rocky interior, too terrified to scream this time. She vaguely noticed that one of its arms was curled toward its chest, as if the arm were somehow injured as it hovered a foot from her, yellow eyes seeming to study her worth. Then it moved the curled arm…and Yumi gasped in shock.

Curled in the nook of its elbow was a baby, or maybe a toddler, with wild blond hair and pale skin. The child lay there limply, as if dead, and Yumi felt a hot rage she had never felt before consume her. This is what they did to their victims? Show them dead children to drive them mad then kill them? Lacking caution in her anger, Yumi grabbed the toddler and almost dropped it when she felt how hot the skin was.

It was...alive?

Grabbing a small chubby wrist, she put her index and middle finger against the vein and listened for a pulse. It was there, steady yet slow, much too slow for a toddler. Quickly looking the child over, she saw that that it was a boy, one in poor shape. She dropped into what she hoped was a doctor mode.

The child's eyes were swollen shut, there was pus around both ears hinting of a severe ear infection. The toddler's throat seemed dangerously swollen- she hoped it wasn't Strep Throat- and it was cutting off the boy's ability to breathe properly. He also seemed to be suffering from a high fever. First things first. After categorizing the child's ailments, she decided that decreasing the swelling of the throat would allow more oxygen in the blood, which, despite the other pains, would at least ease some of the child's misery. She pulled off her shirt and wrapped the boy in it. She had some good tea leaves that reduced swelling and eased the pain of sore throat, and she was grateful that her pack was sitting near her.

She blinked. Was it possible that they had not brought her here to eat her, but in fact nurse this boy back to health? She looked up at the monsters, noticing the one that had given the child to her had returned to its previous position. They were all staring at her still, unmoving statues, and she wondered. Was this child theirs? Had they stolen it from some poor woman to eat and decided to care for it instead, only for it to become ill?

Yumi shook her head. Priorities first, luxury later. First she needed some water. Pulling out the small pot she had packed for traveling tea breaks she was supposed to have with Shirow, she carefully placed the unresponsive toddler on the cold rocky ground and slowly headed for the cave entrance, showing the monsters that she wasn't intending to run away. Their gazes followed her, but they made no moves. She quickly filled the pot by using the sleet of rain that fell along the rocks, knowing that any minerals in the water would be welcome. She made sure there was no sand at the bottom then headed back toward the child. At her pack, she pulled out some tea bags and a small red cloth. Setting the pot down carefully, she slowly gathered rocks and some dry sticks and bramble that she found and placed them together. She then looked at the four monster statues.

"I'm going to need fire…for the tea," she said in a steady voice, and inwardly cheered at how calm and cool she sounded. The statues continued to stare at her, uncomprehending or not caring- either she did not know.

"Fire?" she repeated hopefully, and cupped her hands to her mouth and blew on them, as if she were cold- which she was with no shirt and all, and then placed them over the sticks and rocks, pretending to warm herself over them. She did this several times to the point where she was to despair, when one of their heads moved. The statue at the corner, shifted and then it said something to the others. How she knew it was actually speaking and not making random noises she did not know, but she had no hopes of repeating anything it said to the others statues, whose heads began to shift toward it in response.

-------------

"I think it wants us to build a fire," Spayt said, turning to look at the others. Krik was obviously _resting _due to his mad dash across the country and back to find a healer for Sunny, and wasn't inclined to reply. Tkaa and Tsorn both looked at him with obvious annoyance, though less with Tkaa.

"Well go build it a fire then. Stop wasting time," Tsorn snapped. Spayt resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Just because Tsorn was older than him, he always felt the need to assert his authority all the time. It was annoying, and one day, when he was hopefully larger, he would have to teach Tsorn a lesson. One that hopefully would leave scars.

Spayt sighed and took a step forward, noticing the human backing away. The human was a temptation for them, except for possibly Krik; it smelled good, and its fear was tantalizing. Nothing smelled better than a frightened human. Humans understood pain and death better than animals- or perhaps differently- because they feared both more than say, an elk would. An elk knew when its time was up, knew when to stop fighting. Humans didn't. They fought, they screamed and they cried, they refused to give in to the endless night, and that's what made them taste better than any other living creature.

-----------------

Yumi backed up quickly as one of the monsters stepped forward. Was it going to kill her? Yumi watched nervously as the monster bent lower to the ground and sniffed her sticks, before it straightened itself and moved a massive hand over the sticks. Yumi watched in unconcealed fascination as the monster clicked its thumb claw and index claw together in a type of snap that produced several sparks. It did this several times before a small spark managed to ignite, and Yumi bravely came forward to nurse the flame, gently adding sticks and all the while knowing that the monster had not backed off. Then she felt a movement and glanced up to see that it had returned to its position with the others and became still again.

Dropping the tea leaves into the pot, she set it on top of the rocks that sat amongst the flames and left it to heat up. In the meantime, she cradled the toddler and hummed a lullaby she had heard some of the village mothers sing to their children. She caressed the child's golden hair, marveling at how soft it was, and began to wonder how long the statues had the child. There was no sign of malnutrition, and the child was reasonably clean, with small scratched here and there that she could tell were from sticks and twigs. Maybe a few days?

But no, she could tell they must have had the child for some time. One, they would not have gone so far to find a healer if they didn't really care about the toddler. How she knew she was far from home, she did not know, but she could feel it in her bones.

The sound of sizzling water brought her out of her thoughts; she set the child down and pulled out some cups and a spoon. She picked the pot from the fire and poured the tea into the cup. Then she went to the entrance again and filled the hot pot up with water. Immediately the cold water began to warm. Returning the child, Yumi sat him upright and dipped the spoon into the tea, gently blowing on the liquid to bring down some of the heat. Opening his mouth with two of her fingers, she slipped the warm herbs into the child's mouth and hoped it went down the right way. The child coughed, the first sign of life it gave in the first hour, and scrunched its cute face in pain.

"I know I know," she cooed. "but mommy's going to make it all better." She inwardly marveled how easy it was for a woman to drop into mother mode, even when days ago she would have sworn she wasn't ready for any type of child.

But it was so easy to care.

----------

An hour later, most of the tea had made it down the child's throat, and the obvious results were pleasing. The swelling had gone down drastically, along with the fever that was plaguing him. Yumi resisted the urge to do a victory dance, pleased that she had killed two birds with one stone. With a less pained throat, the child began to whimper often and shift miserably in her arms.

Step Two.

With the warm water from the pot waiting, she dipped the small red cloth into the pot and began to run the warm cloth over the child's body and face. Wiping his eyes, which were also gummed shut, she grimaced. Hopefully he didn't have some type of conjunctivitis, or some other serious eye infection, because she didn't have any sterile antibiotics for them. The only thing she could do was clean them up so the boy could at least open his eyes, or try to since the flesh was swollen. For his ear infection, which was now probably the only thing that was making him miserable, she could do a little more, and after cleaning them out she managed to pour some medicated water into his ears, causing him to cry and squirm, though she held him still. All the while, she kept a close eye on the four statues, whom hadn't moved even when the toddler cried out in pain. Did they really care? Or was it that they were used to the cries of children? How intelligent _were_ they anyhow?

Smart enough to see through your pantomiming… her brain said, and she conceded to the thought. They obviously had their own language, which said pretty much everything all on its own. 

After wrapping the toddler in another of her clean shirts and donning one for herself, she pulled out her camping futon and rolled it out, scarfed down a nutrition bar since she didn't want to make anything else, and zipped both her and the toddler into it.

"What shall I call you?" she murmured, staring at the toddler. Some of the swelling in his eyes had gone down, though to her chagrin she had seen that most of the blood vessels in his eyes had popped, leaving them a gruesome red. Would they kill the boy if there was any lasting visual damage? Hell, would they kill her??!

Yumi tossed the grim thoughts aside and began to wonder again, what to call the boy. "Let's see. If you were _my_ baby, I would call you…Naoe Yep. For now, your name is Naoe." She kissed his forehead and curled up around him. She glanced at the monsters, who had not moved once, then shut her eyes, safe in the knowledge that at least for tonight, she was safe from death. It only remained to be seen, if tomorrow was going to be as safe as today had been.

She wondered how long she had been unconscious from the time she had been kidnapped, to the time she had awakened. Was her father already missing her? Was Shirow? Were they looking for her now, wondering if she was safe and unharmed? Except for a pulled muscle, she felt great, if a little spent.

The onslaught of rain was comforting, as was the small warm body she held. Yumi drifted off to sleep, unaware of the four hungry gazes that fixated upon her.

--------------

Tkaa sniffed Sunny as he stood over the human female that had curled herself around the toddler. Turning from them, he made his way around the small fire and nudged a few sticks into it when he noticed that it was almost going out.

"Sunny smells a lot better than before," he murmured as to not awaken the sleeping humans. "I must admit, your choice in a healer is admirable."

Krik pulled himself out of _resting_ and nodded. It was very rare for Tkaa to compliment him in anything since Tkaa was one to keep his opinions to himself. If anything were to happen to him, Tkaa would take over the pack in his place, and he was sure that Tsorn would behave himself. Spayt, he did not worry about. Out of the four of them, he was the most amiable and adaptable.

"Though it seems strange," Tkaa whispered suddenly, "that Sunny's scent is beginning to change. I sense a…darkness about him. He smells less human now."

Krik lifted his head and sniffed the air through slitted nostrils. Yes, the seal must have weakened due to Sunny's ailment. Already he could sense the _source _in him, that strange ability that made some humans dangerous and the greater Demons masters. He suspected it was already flowing through Sunny's body.

They only had to wait and see.

--------------

The next morning was pleasing for Yumi, who awakened to see a sitting toddler attempting to eat her hair. Sitting up, she examined Naoe. The swelling of his eyes had gone down, leaving them rimmed pink, though the vessels in his eyes had yet to heal. Getting a hold of his head, she examined his pink ears and thought that maybe another dose would do well for them. Yumi glanced up and noticed that only one monster remained, the one she was sure had made the fire for her, and it was staring at her like they all had yesterday. Turning back to Naoe, she opened his mouth to check his throat, when she shrieked and moved away, fear rolling through her.

Naoe had the teeth of perhaps a three year old, but they were sharp and dagger-like. Yumi felt cold. Had she mistaken this whole ordeal the whole time? Was the child perhaps a monster too, only, it hadn't reached the stage where it began to look like the others? Was one of them its mother- perhaps the one that was staring at her intently, nostrils flaring occasionally. Yumi focused on Naoe's eyes and noticed things she had ignored before. What she had assumed were bloodshot eyes and popped vessels now appeared to be crimson irises and slitted black pupils rimmed with an orange fire that threatened to pull her into them. Gentle flushed cheeks sporting curious markings now seemed sinister and animal-like- perhaps whiskers. She noticed red agitated ears somehow seemed more pointed, and chubby little hands now had small sharp fingernails.

This child wasn't human!

In fact, if Yumi really looked, she would realize that Naoe was no longer sick and was actually in high spirits. He made a strange clicking sound from the back of his throat and reached a small hand toward her foot, deadly eyes cheerful, and strangely innocent.

When she had awakened, Naoe was attempting to eat her hair. What if it was more than just child curiosity? What if Naoe ate humans along with the rest of them? Yumi glanced up at the monster that stood across from them, really looked into those yellow slitted eyes and realized how hungry this monster looked.

"I think I better leave," Yumi whispered, feeling terrified. The toddler turned and crawled over to Yumi's pack and began to dig into the contents, picked up a spoon and experimentally chewed on it. The sound of twisting metal came unwelcome to her ears and Yumi staggered to her feet. "I'm going now," she said between gasps as she stumbled toward the entrance. "The boy is alright now, so I-I'm gonna go home." She glanced at Naoe, whose crimson eyes were staring after her curiously and gnawing on the now mutilated spoon. "Y-You can keep my stuff. I don't need it."

As she made it to the entrance, the monster made a move toward her. Yumi screamed, turned, and fled the cave.

It happened so quickly. One moment there was jagged rock under her feet, the next she was falling, crashing into everything, feeling pain in every bounce until there was a loud snap in her ears that blocked out all sound and she could no longer feel herself fall, only the world twisting end upon end.

Then she stopped falling and the world righted itself, the sky stopped twirling. It was partly cloudy today, but the sky was a beautiful change from the dreary cave ceiling. There was a ringing in her ears that wouldn't go away, but she knew not to move until her body accessed the injuries first. Strangely, black dots began to appear in her vision, popping up and disappearing, only to show up again. The face of the monster appeared above her, and she could have sworn there was a complete look of surprise on the gruesome features, like it had not expected this.

More black dots appeared, and slowly Yumi began to understand what happened, and mostly, why she not only hadn't got feeling back, but couldn't move.

The cave had been at the top of a rather steep rocky hill, and she hadn't known that, seeing as at the time she had gone to the cave entrance, it was raining very hard. That loud snapping noise must have been her neck breaking, and these black dots that increased must be signs that she was dying. She felt fear, wanted to cry or perhaps hyperventilate, but her breaths became shallow, her own heartbeat, which was the only thing she could hear, became slower. Most of her vision left, except for the two yellow glowing eyes which took up what was left of her sight. It was a pity this was the last thing she was going to see.

Gods she wished she could see her father. This was going to kill him.

She wished she could have been a medic Nin, like her mother had been.

Then the eyes were gone and darkness came.

----------------

Spayt hovered over the human female, watched as the warm brown eyes began to lose focus as they stared at him, and then its breaths become short and few. Then it stopped breathing and became still, eyes becoming glassy.

This was completely unexpected. Spayt hadn't a clue as to why it had its flight of terror, since he hadn't done anything to warrant it. But it had run and managed to kill itself in the process. The smell of its rich blood oozed out of the many broken bones and gashes it had accumulated on the way down. Especially from the neck, where the bone had snapped and was protruding out of the flesh. A scuffling alerted him and Spayt turned to see Sunny carefully make his way to his side, metal object still in his drooling mouth. Spayt frowned. How did the clumsy child make it all the way down here, when he had trouble walking on a flat surface without falling on his face?

"Wud 'appen?" Sunny asked suddenly, startling the older demon. Sunny had just said two words almost perfectly in their language, with the right hiss on 'happen'. Spayt stared closely at the toddler and noticed the changes. Sunny was making the clicking noise that was commonly associated with curiosity while his now sharp teeth gnawed on the metal utensil. His now slightly pointed ears were twitching at new or enhanced sounds and his small button nose was twitching at the smell of blood. But the most noticeable trait was the crimson eyes and slitted pupil that was ringed with yellow and orange.

And then it all made sense. Swollen eyes for the change, swollen throat for added vocal cords, bleeding ears for the enhanced hearing, and the brief moment of stuffy nose for the enhanced sense of smell. Sunny had not been sick as much as simply going through the change Krik had once whispered of. So was the human female necessary then? Had they really needed it then?

Seeing the crimson eyes upon him, Spayt felt inclined to answer, though he wasn't sure how much the child would understand.

"It is dead. It broke its neck." He pointed to the piece of bone poking out of the female's neck. Sunny stopped chewing on the piece of metal and stared intently at the corpse, body gone still with thought, unnatural for a child.

"Why?" he said suddenly, and Spayt started in surprise. It was not an empty _why_, but a 'why did she die' which meant that Sunny understood the concept of death, which was impossible at his age.

But he was moved to answer. "Terror. Terror makes a thing a fool."

Sunny remained still, and perhaps thoughtful, as he stared down at the human corpse.

"What happened?" a voice inquired and Spayt turned to see Krik calmly approaching the scene. Not too far back, Tsorn and Tkaa carried a large fat female bear. Krik stood near the body looking annoyed. Spayt shrugged.

"I don't know. It suddenly grew frightened and ran and killed itself on the way down. But look," Spayt said as he saw Krik grimace and Tsorn giggle. "Look at Sunny. He is well again, and more like us-er or at least like our kind."

Krik looked at Sunny, who was staring absentmindedly at the corpse, chewing away at the piece of metal in his mouth.

"Sunny," Krik called, and the crimson eyes looked up at him expectantly. "You will do well here." He then turned to Spayt. "Take the human female inside. We will dine on her cold flesh along with this healthy bear we have found."

Spayt nodded eagerly and picked the human up by its damaged neck. He watched as Krik picked Sunny up by the legs and sniffed him over before trudging up to the cave.

"Be serious Spayt," Tsorn hissed with a malicious giggle. "you killed the human so you could eat her."

Spayt scowled in reply and headed up to the cave, human female tight in one grip.

Only Tkaa stopped and picked up the piece of metal that Sunny had dropped when Krik picked him up. He then headed solemnly towards the cave. He'd been the only one, he was sure, to say that they should let the human female go once Sunny was well. Tsorn had blatantly disagreed, saying that they shouldn't let such a meal pass them by. Krik had been indecisive, since he was more concerned about the safety of the pack if they let her free. He was sure Spayt had wanted to eat the human as well, but if Krik wanted to let the human go, Spayt would have backed him up immediately. Such was his loyalty.

But now the human was dead, by mere accident, and Tkaa felt they no longer had any choices. Alive or dead their fates were sealed. None of the others knew that he had agreed with Tsorn the first day they had come across Sunny in the forest. They should have eaten him along with the human he was with and be done with it. He alone felt the sense of death that surrounded the infant, that if they let it live, they would meet such a gruesome end. But Krik had wanted to keep it, Spayt had backed him up, and Tsorn had shut his mouth. He, had not opened it at all. Maybe he should have. Maybe by his own silence he had sentenced them all to death.

Tkaa sighed and entered the cave, seeing Krik divide the human up and give a severed hand to Sunny, who chewed on it hungrily. He still liked to chew things.

Well it was all too late now. Sunny was no longer exactly human, he was part of the pack, and the human was dead. Best to meet this straight on.

He accepted the human thigh Krik tossed his way.

-----------

Takezo stood stony faced and shadowy eyed amongst his late wife's friends, former teammates from when she had been a medic Nin. Each one had held Yumi at least once during the time when she was a child, each one had been called a guardian of some sort. Now they had gathered to find Yumi, who had disappeared. One shinobi held a scroll in one hand; he claimed that he would summon a pack of wolves who would be able to hunt Yumi down.

Takezo handed his wife's hitai-ate, which no longer smelled of her, but Yumi, who used to wear it and pretend she was a medic Nin.

They would find his daughter, or exact vengeance on the ones who had killed her.

**TBC**

**Naoe is pronounced (now- weh) or more reasonably, (now-way). Though it really isn't important since this chapter was the only one where that name was used. And yes, I felt like a real idiot killing Yumi like that.**


	4. The Lure

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and never will.**

**READ THE BOTTOM WHEN FINISHED. VERY INFORMATIVE!**

**Chapter Three**

**The_ Lure_**

Four and five were more pleasant years for Sunny, the years of learning and self discovery. He was now able to walk and run without falling all the time, and found that he enjoyed climbing trees and traveling by them, which was a relief for the pack since normally they spent little time on the ground. But since the day they had found Sunny, they had to change most of their lifestyle to accommodate the fragile human infant. They were grateful that Sunny seemed to be evolving quickly since the _change_ when he was three. He was now able to leap from tree to tree, support his own weight, and capture his own food, though his diet only consisted of smaller animals and insects and the occasional human the others caught.

Sunny was about five inches over four feet with long blond hair that no one had decided to cut, and laced in it was large white bird feathers. Adorning his pointed ears were several types of earrings, some were studs they had picked off of human males, and some dangling earrings that he had taken from a female shaman. He also had taken her many necklaces and beads, bracelets and anklets, all of which he wore since she had no longer needed them, being dinner and all.

He enjoyed the way the trinkets felt against his sensitive skin, which was a gentle golden peach. Tkaa had once said that he looked like what humans often called angels, some curious winged human. He always felt a sort of disdain when they mentioned how human he looked. Sure there was an uncanny resemblance between him and humans, but he was sure it would be only a matter of time before he started taking on the characteristics of the pack. Surely they started out looking human too.

At the moment he sat high in a tree, munching agitatedly on peppermint leaves, which he had an obsession with since he could remember. Tsorn often teased him, calling him a cow because he was always chewing on something, which was usually peppermint leaves. After a time Sunny had lost patience with the taunting and simply replied that he didn't want his mouth smelling like a dead animal like his was. Tsorn had beaten him up after that remark, but hadn't called him a cow since.

It seemed that out of the group, he was the only one that bathed regularly, since Krik had taught him how to do it. When he noticed that the others spent little or no time by streams and rivers like he did, he questioned why he was the only one that bathed. Tkaa had stated, in a rather quiet voice, that his flesh had a tendency to gather dirt quickly and give off an odor that alerted prey and was bothersome to their noses. To test this, he stopped bathing for a week until he found himself offensive and went to soak in a pond.

So why was he so different from the others, yet held some characteristics that seemed human? Spayt had once told him that when he was real small, he used to urinate and crap like the humans do when they were terrified, but after this _change_ he supposedly went through, he stopped doing that. If only humans and animals needed to do such things, why had he done them in the first place?

Sunny rubbed red-rimmed eyes and grunted in agitation. He always got testy when it was time for _resting, _something he hated to do. He'd always make such a big fuss until he managed to sit down and be still. Krik once told him that before the _change_, he would sleep like the humans would, for hours and hours, Krik said, and that, perhaps why he always became agitated just before _resting _was because his body remembered that it used to sleep, and no longer could partake of that.

So had he started out human? Why had he suddenly changed?

Brushing some strands of hair out of his face, Sunny took a deep breath and allowed the _resting_ to take hold. Spayt had said that before the _change_, _resting_ had been dangerous for them, since they were forced to spend more time on the ground due to his clumsiness. When they _rested_, their bodies relaxed completely, and though they were aware of their surroundings, they were often slow to react to things, or even at all. That's why they spent _resting _periods high up in thick trees, hidden by foliage. Their brown skin helped them blend in with their wooden habitat, but Sunny was like a beacon, with his gentle golden skin and flowing blond tresses that attracted human and animal alike. So he often chose the tallest, thickest trees to _rest_ in.

_Resting_ only comes once a week, and would last for only about six hours. At first, it was impossible for him to sit still for ten minutes let alone six hours straight. _Resting _had started out as a miserable ordeal until he could manage to blank his mind or at least occupy it with thoughts that entertained him…for six hours.

Sunny's mouth stopped chewing on his mashed up peppermint leaves and his lids began to feel heavy. He slumped on the branch and became still. Far below him sat a mound of dirt that held a large colony of ants. His eye sight was sharp, and even from the height he was, he could still see the individual insects.

Ants were spicy, and a hassle to eat, and they had a habit of biting him when he attempted to munch on them.

Wonder what it's like…being an ant…

-------------

"Where you guys going?" Sunny asked, curious as to why Krik had suddenly moved them far south from their usual hunting area. He was seven now, three inches taller than when he was five and dying to prove himself and make up for all those years he had been a burden to the pack.

Krik turned and glanced at him. "Soon it will be time to teach you how to hunt bigger animals, and even humans, since you have the talent for the _Lure_. We're going to scout the area. Stay here and behave."

Sunny grimaced and leaped from one tree to the next, disappearing from view. It was easy for them to marvel at how deceptive Sunny's body was. It seemed the body of a child, soft and thin, with very little muscle. But his fragile legs manage to launch him great distances, and those thin fingers had a grip of steel.

Krik had been relieved when Sunny stopped producing waste, and even more pleased when he had been licking some scratches off Sunny's back, and found that his blood burned his tongue. That was when he had started teaching Sunny how to bathe himself. After the death of that human female healer, they had taken some of its belongings and had stripped the clothing so Sunny could wear them like a loincloth. Sunny had taken to the idea well, and often adorned himself the silly human clothing when they had humans in their possession.

What really intrigued the leader, was the ever growing _source _that circulated through Sunny's body. He was fascinated with it, could smell the massive potential that lurked within the youth. Krik had once asked him if it bugged him, not to use the _source_, but Sunny had stated that at times, he would feel stuffed- or stretched, but then it would go away. Krik had sat through a _resting_ to puzzle it out, and arrived with the conclusion that in reality, all the unused _source_ would build up in Sunny's channels, and then the channels would stretch, or become bigger, to accommodate the steady increase. It was obvious that Sunny would soon have to start using the _source_ before he exploded, or something else unfortunate.

But how to teach what he knew little about? Only the Master Demons controlled the _source_; Lesser ones like he and his pack did not even possess such a thing. But humans did, he had seen the dangerous ones kill each other with it, using strange hand movements and creating such powerful attacks. Sunny had so much of it.

He would have to find some way to teach him.

--------

Teaching Sunny the _Lure_ had proved to be too easy, for the youth had a natural talent for such things. They had originally discovered his talent on the night of a full moon, when the sky was full of its bright light and the stars basked in its glory. Sunny had been acting strange that day, seeming sluggish and lazy. For a time, they had thought he was falling into a _resting_, but the only strenuous thing he could have possibly done was brawl playfully with Spayt- nothing that could cause an early _resting_.

"What's the matter Sunny?" Spayt asked the question that even Tsorn was curious to know.

Sunny glanced at him dully, rubbing a pointed ear and heaved a sigh as he followed the pack through the trees.

"Nothing," he replied, then heaved another sigh. "it's nothing really…"

Tsorn shrugged at Tkaa and they continued on, following Krik as they moved onto a new location. It was never smart to stay in one place for long, and they often moved at least once a week to keep the game fresh. Traveling through trees kept the trail incognito- except to the ones that held the _source. _They tended to choose trees for stealthy retreats…or chases…

That night Sunny did not join them for hunting, choosing to wander off, running his thin fingers through his hair, something he did when he was agitated, and chewed on his ever present peppermint leaves.

"Not hungry Sunny?" Tkaa asked in his quiet voice. Though Sunny was more demon than human, there was always something fragile about him, something about his infancy that would make them always worry about his wellbeing. Sunny glanced back and gave a wan smile before disappearing into the foliage.

"Maybe he is _changing_ again?" Spayt inquired, blinking large yellow eyes at Krik, who was munching away at a small toad he had picked up.

Krik glanced at him and nodded, too preoccupied with the thoughts of a leader to pay much attention. They continued on for some time, sniffing out the scent of wolves while hunting.

Then it came, floating through the air like a sweet aroma, like the sound of bells, like if the very sky was singing. The pack stopped its hunt and froze, listening to the light sound, basking in the peace, security, and comfort of it. And it was hard to ignore the seducing call…

"_What _is that?" Tsorn demanded quietly, nostrils flaring and staring unblinkingly into the foliage.

"More like _who_ is that?" Tkaa muttered as he stalked through the brush in the direction in which Sunny had gone.

"It is beautiful…" Spayt whispered as he followed behind him.

Moments later they entered a clearing and gasped at the figure that danced and writhed in the moonlight, pale skin glowing, hands outstretched and beckoning, hair flowing and spinning.

Sunny was singing, using the _lure_ to call out to…the moon? His _lure_ was different from any they could produce, for it was light and without the drone they used, and had little subliminal messaging since the sound alone was enough to attract attention. With his second set of vocal cords, he harmonized with the first so that it sounded like two children were singing instead of one.

Sunny twirled on the ball of his left foot and danced across the clearing, staring up at the face of the moon. It was then that they noticed that his eyes had returned to that shade of blue he used to have before the change, yet it glowed, reflecting the soft light that was graced upon him. The pack watched in awe as Sunny danced and sang in the clearing, eyes riveted on the moon.

"Maybe he's some type of wolf demon, since he seems enamored by the moon," Tkaa murmured. Sunny turned to them in mid-leap and smiled.

"Come dance with me," he beckoned, then tilted his head at the sound of howling wolves in the distance.

"No," Tsorn snapped. "The rest of us want to eat. You go on and play like the baby you are."

Spayt rolled his eyes in annoyance. Ever since Sunny had aged enough for him to taunt, Tsorn had moved from annoying Spayt to bullying Sunny.

Sunny stopped dancing, but the smile remained in his face. Soon he would have to teach Tsorn a lesson. But not tonight. Tonight was for dancing, for drinking in the light that the moon was giving, and enjoying the fresh night air. _Let them hunt,_ he thought. _I will worship the great mistress in the sky._

_------------_

Taking Sunny near a small village, the pack told him to sing, and _lure_ certain humans toward them. Sunny had raised his small hands to the sky and sang out clearly, his voice drifting across the wind like a fresh breeze. Several humans had stopped their labors when the angelic voice had hit their ears.

The pack had eaten well, but was forced to leave soon after, when a large group of humans had come to find out where several of their own had gone.

--------------

Krik studied ten year old Sunny, who was sitting on a sturdy branch and trying to pull a glob of sticky tree sap from his hair, which had now reached his calves. The hair was dirty, and too troublesome to clean on a daily basis.

"Here Sunny," Krik called helpfully, and handed over one of the small sharp weapons some humans carried with them. "Use this to cut out the sap."

Sunny's red eyes fell on him and the youth smiled toothily, white teeth flecked with mashed up peppermint leaves.

"Ok!" he said cheerfully and began to artlessly hack away at the gob of damaged hair. "Might as well cut all of it out eh?" he said conversationally, and began to grab the rest of his hair and sever the strands ruthlessly. Several of the large feathers that had been lodged in his hair fell lazily to the forest floor.

Krik stared up at him thoughtfully before broaching the subject that he had been pondering for some years now.

"Sunny? Remember how I asked you about the _source_ some time ago?"

Sunny stuck the metal object into the trunk of the tree and began to pull loose strands of hair from his now wild and chin length hair, all the while giving Krik a puzzled yet thoughtful gaze.

"Ummm…yeah, I remember. You wanted to know if it bugged me not to use it."

Krik nodded, pleased that Sunny had better memory than he had surmised.

"Yes, that's it. Don't you want to know how to use it?"

Sunny stopped pulling on his hair and gave his undivided attention, his throat already making the rhythmic clicking noise associated with curiosity. He even stopped chewing, which showed that he was truly interested in what Krik had to say.

"Use it? Why would I care to do that?"

Krik pulled himself up into the tree, grateful that Sunny always chose the biggest and roomiest ones. At seven and a half feet tall, some trees had a hard time concealing the pack. He settled on a thick branch near Sunny and began to talk in a low conspirator voice, knowing that talking in such a way would keep Sunny's ten year old interest.

"It is the _source _that makes some humans dangerous to us. It is why we often have to move around so much, so that those humans do not come after us." Sunny had stopped clicking and was now frowning. "If our kind had the _source_, we could be invincible. We could eat anything and not have to move around so much." He put on a wistful facial expression, as if this was what made life so horrible. "Alas, we do not have such power. But you do, Sunny, and if you could learn to use it, why, our pack would be indestructible!"

Ok, so he was laying it on a bit thick, but he was appealing to Sunny's sense of duty to the pack. Sunny was always trying to prove his usefulness to the pack, and had been ecstatic when he had proved useful for the _lure_. But, if he had the _source_, something not even Krik had, he could use it to smack Tsorn in the face. He'd be even better than Tsorn, who was always teasing him and saying mean things.

Sunny beamed at the leader.

"Ok! Teach me how to use the _source_! I'll learn it fast!"

"Alright," Krik said with a wave of his massive hand, then settled back on the branch to think of a way to begin to teach Sunny to harness something he had no experience in. He mentally went over times he had seen humans use the _source_, how they leaped from trees and often hung up-side-down from their feet. That took control. He glanced at the demon child who was practically bouncing on his branch with barely contained excitement. "Alright. Here's what I want you to do. Can you feel the _source_ running through you?"

Sunny stopped bouncing and closed his eyes. Oh he could feel the _source_ all right. It was always there, always ready to be used, and yet always patient, ready but waiting.

"Yep, I can feel it."

"Ok," Krik said as he jumped down from the tree and looked up at him. "I want you to take some of that _source_ and direct it toward your feet-''

Immediately he felt that hair raising heat and malice fill the air and suddenly Sunny was tossed upwards, slamming viciously through the tree, crashing through thick branches until he was airborne, above the tree. For a second, he seemed to float, before falling back down, breaking cracked branches and trying to grab one.

Krik grimaced as Sunny crashed into the branch strewn floor with a thud, leaves and other unlucky branches falling on and around him. When the commotion ended, leaves stopped falling, he eyed his young charge, who lay motionless on the forest floor.

"Next time, let me finish."

Sunny lifted his head and grimaced, before slowly sitting up and twisting his head to release pent up muscles and cracks in his neck. He slowly got to his feet and began to do a systems check, twiddling his fingers and toes, wriggling his arms and legs, turning his torso here and there to make sure his spine hadn't received any damage.

The damage was all superficial, cuts and scrapes that had healed long before he had returned to his feet. He was much dirtier now, only a few baths would get rid of all the tree sap that now littered his flesh and attracting dirt. Sunny scowled down at an ankle that was missing its beaded anklet that he liked, then Krik rolled his eyes as Sunny went digging through the clutter of broken branches in search of the little sack that was always at his waist, that held all his cultivated peppermint leaves. When the youth had found both anklet and leaf pouch, and had tied them to their respected places, he then turned to Krik and smiled.

"Was I supposed to fly into the air like that?"

"No." Krik replied flatly

"Oh…" Sunny replied, looking crestfallen. Then a smile appeared, one so bright and innocent that it almost seemed as if there had been a cloud covering the sun, and at the smile the sun had pulled from behind it. Sunny's hair shown, his red eyes sparkled, his pink, pouty lips pulled into a grin. "But that was cool huh?! That could get real useful later on huh?!"

Krik sent him a thoughtful gaze.

"True actually. Keep that one in mind. But what I wanted was for you to stick onto the branch, not launch yourself from it. Come, let's find another tree to work on, since you broke this one. We have a lot of work to do, with your _source_ control. Come along Sunny."

Sunny popped a few peppermint leaves into his mouth and bounced cheerfully after the pack leader.

This was going to be fun.

--------

Over the next few weeks, Sunny learned to hang upside down from trees, climb trees without using his hands, leap even farther distances, and on a more exciting discovery, make the _source _turn into visible red clawed hands. That one was fun, and he had captured a rogue wolf with them once. He liked how it felt to use large amounts of the _source_, like some hidden pressure was finally being released. He even felt lighter. Every day he and Krik had used the _source_, learning to control it, trying to learn what it could and couldn't do. He hadn't seen Spayt, Tkaa, or Tsorn since the first day Krik had approached him, and he missed playing with Spayt or sitting quietly with Tkaa and conversing about trivial things. And Tsorn? Well…

"How do you feel Sunny? Weak? Energetic?" Krik sniffed his hair as if somehow he felt it reflected on the way he smelled. It actually did, but Sunny spent so much time eating peppermint leaves that _that_ was all he smelled like. It was easy to tell where Sunny was, or where he had been, by the fresh minty scent that he gave off at all times.

Sunny stopped intertwining new feathers into his chin length hair and sent a puzzled look his way.

"I feel light. I think I used up a lot of the _source_." He hesitated, then spoke again. "You know Krik, the _source _only seems to enhance things I already know how to do on my own. I mean, I can climb trees without using my hands, I can leap great distances and run real fast. I mean, the only thing I can't do on my own is the _source _hands. Beyond that I see no point…" He stopped at the pained sigh Krik sent his way.

"Sunny," he sighed again. "You've never seen any of the _source_ carrying humans. They do great things with their _source_, things you cannot even begin to imagine. I would show you, but it would be too dangerous for you. Maybe when you are older, and more powerful, I will show you the reason why we stay away from the _source_ carrying humans." He ruffled Sunny's hair. "In the meantime, make sure you keep control of the _source_. Lets head back to the pack. No doubt they miss you."

Sunny nodded and tugged absently on one of his dangling ear-rings before following after his leader.

---------------

The Stone shinobi watched in silence as the man wept, grasping the bones to his chest, tears cascading down his weathered face. He'd sold everything he owned to find his daughter, and had despaired when his late wife's friends had given up years ago. But he had been lucky. Many people had started missing in threes and fours, so that even the daimyo had taken notice. It was only a matter of time before he had heard the news that a group of shinobi had a mission to find and eliminate the cause for the missing villagers, and after hours of begging, they had allowed him to tag along.

"The body has been here for some time. How long ago did you say your daughter went missing?"

Takezo wiped his face and stopped his sobbing. He stood up and gazed down at the scattered bones in the cave. The only way he was able to recognize that this was in fact her body was that one discarded skeletal arm held a bracelet he had made for her on her fifteenth birthday.

"Seven years. She's been missing seven years. Who would kill her like this?" he whispered.

The shinobi glanced at him then each other.

"Well," Sagara Keitaro, Anbu squad leader said, "You've found you daughter. We're going on to the other leads. Perhaps it is time for you to go back to your village and properly mourn your loss."

"No!" Takezo cried. "I will not rest until I avenge what has been done here!"

The others looked at their leader. Keitaro sighed and scratched his head.

"Ok, ok. Just don't be a burden."

Takezo nodded. He knew he had long since stopped being a burden. Pure determination alone had honed his muscles, taught him to be quick. His job in the squad was information gathering. He often spent it in the villages, asking families about the last time they had seen their sons and daughters, husbands and wives.

He now knew what happened to his daughter. Did the others meet the same fate?

The ones who had done this to his Yumi would pay.

**TBC**

**Next time: Sunny/Naruto meets Orochimaru**

The Rules of _Resting: Resting _only comes once a week and lasts for about six hours. It does not put them to sleep, but more like a stupor. _Resting_ is a rather vulnerable state since it leaves them very slow to react to danger, if at all. One can go without _resting_, but it is ill-advised to do since it can cause much more problems. However, _resting_ can be delayed by several hours if the demon is old enough. Sunny, is not. Spayt, barely makes it. 

**Sunny's _Source_: The _source _is obviously chakra. Since Sunny is more demon than he is human, his human chakra had been burned out during the _change _and his channels have been growing to accommodate all of the unused chakra that he has. It would actually takeperforming_ several _sannin level jutsu's in succession to tire him out. If you think that's too powerful, consider the fact that Sunny has no knowledge of how to use a jutsu, and the only thing he has down is chakra control and the chakra hands. He could easily be beaten in a skirmish with a high level chuunin- or low level jounin. What he has in power he seriously lacks in knowledge and skill.**


	5. The Fox and the Snake

**Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion**

_**Chapter Four**_

_**The Fox and the Snake**_

Tkaa appeared at the edge of the brush, where farmland became wood and the humans avoided the area like the plague, all of the humans. He was hoping he could get something in his stomach before _resting_ took him which he felt was only an hour away or so. He was sure Sunny had already fallen into _resting_, and Spayt must have dropped off too. Tkaa watched as the bustling city nearly shut down, and people hurried into their homes like the eyes of the devil was following them. He noticed their eyes always drifted toward the forest before the acrid scent of fear floated from them. And Tkaa felt fear again.

They had never fed from this village; they had gone far south from their usual abode, and yet the humans seemed to fear the forest. If there was one thing he could not fault the humans in, was that they seemed to not have the communication problems that other living creatures had. News traveled fast, as well as warnings. Tkaa turned into the forest and headed back to Krik and the others

The humans had been warned of danger, and when they were afraid they always sent the humans with the _source_ to clean up their problems.

------------------

Sunny lay curled up in a ball, high up in a large oak tree. He had twisted the branches and intertwined them together to get a leafy bed something he had seen monkeys do many years ago when they had traveled a more hot wet climate. His eyes were closed, yet he could hear the others crouched in their own trees, hear their gentle breaths and the branches creak under their weight. He could tell that Spayt had already dropped into _resting_ like he had by how deeply he breathed. Krik and Tsorn were not _resting_ yet, and he vaguely wondered if Krik was waiting for Tkaa's return from the quick hunt he had gone on. Krik had asked him to stop near the human dwellings to see what kind of pickings there was if they were in the mood for human when they dropped out of resting. Krik must be waiting for the information, since he was always the last to _rest_, claiming that it was the leader's duty to make sure the area they stayed in was safe.

He would admit, out of all the pack, Tkaa might just be his favorite, mainly because one, he wasn't always taunting him, like Tsorn, or treating him like a baby, Spayt and Krik. Tkaa often dealt with him an indifference that pleased him, as if he were in fact, exactly the same as the others and nothing about him was different. Because of this, it was easier for him to touch upon the subject that had beat at his brain from the moment he realized he might just turn out completely different from the others.

"Tkaa?" he had asked one day, when the sky was overcast with dark angry clouds and the air sizzled with the chance of a thunderstorm.

Tkaa had been sitting under a gnarled old tree, idly munching away at the leg of a badger, yellow eyes vacant- yet full of thought. "Yes?" he replied, still gazing off at nothing.

Sunny hung from the tree by his arms and crossed his legs.

"How come I look different from you guys but you all look the same?"

Tkaa stopped chewing and glanced up at the demon child. Then he continued to chew.

"Because Krik, Tsorn, Spayt, and I are brothers by blood, and you are not."

Sunny dropped from the tree and landed in a silent crouch next to the larger demon. "What do you mean I'm not related?!"

Tkaa frowned at him.

"Surely the others have told you of how we had found you in the arms of a human male with the _source_. I think he was going to kill you, but we ate him instead. He had tossed you aside when he saw us, and we would have forgotten about you if you hadn't started crying."

Sunny rocked back on his heels, a frown marring his beautiful face.

"Why would a human have had me? Did it kill my real pack?"

Tkaa blinked his large luminous eyes at the youth.

"What do you mean by _real_ pack? Does this mean you consider us a fake one?"

Sunny blinked several times before breaking into a blinding smile that made the older demon grimace. Then he jumped on Tkaa's shoulders and wrapped his pale arms around Tkaa's earthy skinned neck.

"That's right! Who cares about my past. This pack's good enough for me!"

So he was different, but who cared- beside Tsorn, but he didn't count because he was an idiot.

The sound of Tkaa heading through the canopy to them came to Sunny's relaxed ears, but he was _resting, _and didn't care to move out of it. But he felt Spayt stir and turn towards them. It was very hard for him to drop out of _resting_ prematurely, but Krik had said that with age, he would be able to leave _resting _at any point in time, even skip it if need be!

The sound of Tkaa's voice pulled his lazy attention.

"The humans are watching for us. Mind you, they don't know it is us they are watching for, but I smelled their unease and fear. A village that size normally doesn't close down so early. I fear there may be humans with the _source _nearby."

Sunny wanted to be alarmed, but the _resting_ had set in for two hours now, and he had about four more to go before he could do anything. He felt Spayt pull himself completely out of _resting_. Then his own tree shook and his own body was grabbed and tucked in warm familiar arms. Spayt leaped to the next tree and seemed to wait for orders.

"We'll go deeper into the forest, as far from here as possible, but we must stay away from other human settlements. Don't touch the ground and leave very little evidence- if any of our passing. Tsorn, check the area and make sure Sunny has left nothing behind."

Tsorn grumbled at Krik's orders but launched himself into the tree Sunny had previously occupied and pulled his bedding apart.

"_Why does he have to make these blasted things!!"_ Tsorn hissed angrily. "I tell you, this child will be the death of us all."

"Be silent," was Krik's curt reply, and in a few moments, he felt himself being launched along the brush, and into the darker reaches of the forest.

----------------

The camp managed to blend itself with the forest, and yet, Orochimaru still felt like he was standing out. It had been a while since he had gone out on his own, for he had been very busy building his own village, Otogakure, Hidden Sound. The thought almost made him giggle with pleasure, for he was now his own Kage, and he would create such a legacy with it.

He was headed for Sunagakure to speak with the current Kage, make himself known as an option. He was aware that the current Daimyo was pulling out the resources of that village, pulling back on the spending power, weakening Sand. It was always well to strike an enemy when they were at their weakest. Sand had not made it there yet; their Kage would see the benefits of breaking their treaty with Leaf.

As for him, it was not too long ago that he had dropped out of the Akatsuki and he was still wary of its members. Thoughts of secret attacks had kept him awake many nights, wondering if they would try to kill him for being a deserter. Orochimaru grimaced at the flash of red eyes with those familiar pinwheels. The Uchiha had always watched him and he had often dreamed of those eyes, and the more he dreamed, the more he wanted them. So he had contacted Kabuto in Konoha and ordered him to keep tabs on the youngest Uchiha, whom at the moment, was attending Konoha's Ninja Academy.

He wanted those eyes, he needed to know more, needed to go beyond the limits of man- reach a new immortal height. His experiments on the limits of the human body only showed what it could not handle. He was even close to defeat before he had discovered the ability to switch bodies, using the bodies that had the best bloodlines-some had never even heard of. But he wanted the Sharingan bloodlimit. He needed to learn all that was possible.

Orochimaru grinned and licked his lips in excitement. He, of course had a plan, one that included a chunnin exam and a young foolish Uchiha.

Oh, and a death of the Hokage.

Sarutobi.

-------------

Sunny stretched his body, thankfully being released for _resting_. The pack had moved at optimum speed, weaving in and out of trees, leaping over brooks and skimming through rivers. Spayt had a little more trouble than the others because he had carried Sunny along. But after hours of making their careful yet mad dash into the deep depths of the forest, Krik had called a halt and the group settled into the thick canopy. Spayt had tucked Sunny into the nook of a tree as the others shuffled around to settle into their delayed _rest_. Spayt had already stopped moving.

Tsorn, on the other hand, was bent on speaking his mind.

"This is the brat's fault! He's been a complete-'' 

"What did I do?!" Sunny screeched, jumping to his feet.

Tsorn spun around and bared his large canines at him.

"Ever since we picked you up things have gone bad. Nothing good has ever come from sparing your life! We should have eaten you like I had suggested!"

Sunny's eyes widened and he glanced over at Tkaa and Krik. Tkaa was settling down for _resting_, as well as Krik, but they both held a slight frown, and Tkaa looked duly agitated. Sunny glared back at Tsorn, baring his own canines. Sure his mouth was small, but unlike the others, whose front teeth between their long canines were somewhat blunt like their chewing mandibles, all his front teeth were sharp, making his snarl always more frightening. He hissed angrily at Tsorn and launched himself from his branch, allowing his deceptively strong legs to push at high speed.

Tsorn roared and swatted the small demon child from him, causing the youth to careen towards a tree. Sunny spun his body quickly and landed sideways onto the tree, then launched himself again. Tsorn then caught him, and dug his large canines into Sunny's shoulder, crushing bones and muscles with the bite. Sunny cried out, and even as Tsorn held him, he sank his own teeth into the demon's leathery shoulder.

Tsorn screeched and viciously tossed the golden haired youth from him. Sunny flew ten feet before crashing onto the ground, skidding through dirt and root, before leaping to his feet and disappearing into the trees. They could hear his screeches fade as he went.

Krik blinked slowly before turning to Tsorn.

"That was highly unnecessary. But you will pay for it." And he glanced at the small yet deep bite that graced the flesh between shoulder and neck. Already Tsorn could feel the burning sensation they began to associate with Sunny's dreadful bites.

Though his bites did not hold the immediate damage theirs did, Sunny's bites were very painful, and tended to cause the flesh around the bite to blacken and break down. At first, they had thought it had something to with uncleanliness, but Sunny had pearly white teeth that he cleaned everyday. His diet was very similar to theirs, except for the peppermint, and they could see no poison glands in his mouth like the snake. If they had been a simple animal or human, the part where he had bitten would have rotted until it was removed. Luckily enough, it would not rot but it would burn like nothing Tsorn had ever felt before.

Tsorn pulled himself into a tree and hissed as the bite began to burn. The bite would last for a day, and would make _resting _hell. He could almost hear Spayt snicker at him, but he would retaliate later, preferably after _resting_…and when the bite wasn't hurting.

Which was most likely tomorrow…

----------------

Sunny dropped low onto a branch and grumbled as his shoulder began to reconstruct itself after the crushing bite Tsorn had given him. Never had he been bitten so nastily before, and it hurt even more since it was from a pack member. Sunny scratched his head furiously, as if to scratch away the days' transgressions. He began to rock himself back and forth on the balls of his feet, something he found he did when he was upset, and dug into his small pouch of leaves and stuffed several peppermints leaves into his mouth. He was very far from the pack, hopefully far enough that they wouldn't be able to find him. No doubt, with a couple days' time, they would miss him, and Tsorn would be apologizing for blaming him for everything.

Were they really going to eat him when they had found him? Tkaa had said nothing of that! Who besides Tsorn had wanted to eat him?

Sunny's face drained of color. Tkaa? Spayt? He chewed harder.

Krik?

Sunny was so engulfed in his misery that he literally didn't notice the human approaching him until the creature was almost directly below him.

-----------

If Orochimaru didn't have any dignity, he would have jumped in startlement when his eyes fell in the small boy that was crouched precariously on a sturdy tree branch, rocking back and forth and looking worried about something. He had not noticed the youth until he was almost directly under him, which was daunting, especially since the boy stood out in a forest of browns and greens.

Immediately he felt the otherworldliness that emanated from the almost angelic figure crouched above him. The skin was golden and smooth, the hair like a halo of pure sunlight, littered with small feathers here and there so that it was almost like the feathers had grown out of his head. Several earrings dangled from his ears and beaded necklaces dangled from a smooth graceful neck, as well as wrists and ankles. Torso, arms, and legs were bare, except for his waist, which was adorned in a white cloth. There was a distinct scent of peppermint in the air, as well as blood.

The child turned his head toward him, and Orochimaru stifled a gasp. Thin golden eyebrows graced a slightly angular face that had yet to lose all of its baby fat. Red iris' that held slitted pupils that were ringed with orange were surrounded by thick golden eyelashes and strangely reddish rimmed eyes. Lips were soft and full and the nose was straight and in proportion with the rest of his face. But it was the thin whisker marks that graced soft cheeks that caught his attention. Where had he seen those markings before?

The child seemed just as surprised to see him as he was to see the child, and yet, there was no fear in him. At first the red eyes seemed startled, and they glanced around the area as if wondering if there was more of him. His jaws were moving, as if he was chewing on gum, and a sudden clicking noise began to come distinctly from his throat. The eyes stared at him, nostrils flared as if taking in his scent, and the child nudged closer to him on the branch, a hand reaching up to grasp the trunk firmly. Orochimaru's eyes darted to those small thin hands and noticed there were no calluses on them. The child looked about nine or ten, and if he had been ninja trained, he would have calluses by now. But he did notice the sharp fingernails that graced each finger.

For a second, he wondered what he would say, and as the child turned the rest of his body toward him, he noticed that the shoulder not facing him was coated in blood.

"Are you hurt?" he inquired, but there was no pain on that angelic face. Had the child ever felt pain? he idly wondered.

There was no comprehension in the crimson eyes, merely curiosity and apathy. He was still chewing away at whatever was in his mouth, and the clicking noise still remained, but there was no killing intent in those eyes.

But why did he feel wary of this child, as if at any moment in time, the youth could strike out at him, and he could be fighting for his life?

And then he knew why. It was so subtle, one would have had to be looking specifically for it, so hidden that it was. Under everything, he could feel the trace of some malignant chakra, something metallic and angry, and then he knew… knew what he was dealing with.

Little more than a decade ago, some low level chuunin had kidnapped the Yondaime's Legacy and had disappeared into the forest. They had searched everywhere for the perpetrator, and had only stopped when they had found the chunnin's bones, with little meat on them and most of the body missing. It was his dental records that had identified him, oh…and his hitai-ate that lay nearby. But they had never found the beast or beasts that had devoured him, and most importantly, had never found the Kyuubi brat.

And here he was, in the forests of Earth County watching the Legendary Sannin as if he were merely the slightly more than average person.

Uzumaki Naruto. That was what his name had been.

The youth leaned forward suddenly, enough that most of his body was dangling from the tree, held by one foot and the hand that was now digging deeply into the tree. As the child drew near, a wave of peppermint hit him, the kind that was unfettered and at its most natural. Naruto reached out his free hand and Orochimaru allowed the youth to gather a few of his ravens locks.

He wasn't quite sure why he allowed this, not sure what he could gain, wasn't even sure why he drew his own tongue out of his mouth and licked the small bloody shoulder. Immediately his tongue began to burn, but he allowed it to run its course.

This was a demon's blood. He wondered if it would hiss and burn like acid if it were spilt. Silently he allowed chakra to run through his mouth, burning out the blood and healing the taste buds. The clicking noise had finally stopped, as if his hair had somehow satisfied his curiosity.

Naruto let the last of his hair run through his fingers before turning his own head and licking his shoulder, as if curious as to why he had done it. He then slowly settled back onto the branch and became still. Orochimaru noticed that not once had the youth blinked, and he had now settled into a stillness that seemed impossible for any living creature to mimic, as if he were a piece of furniture, frozen and inanimate. But the eyes watched him, burned into him.

This child was powerful, more powerful than he was when he was his age, more powerful than Uchiha Itachi had been. Those crimson eyes held such secrets, and he began to wonder, what words of power, what words of wisdom did the Kyuubi whisper in those jewel-adorned ears? What places of wonder had the fox demon traveled? Did he tell Naruto?

If the child had been any other, he would have tossed a sleeping jutsu his way and take the child. But he knew he could not take this child the way he had taken the others. He would have to lead him to him.

Orochimaru's eyes fell on the many necklaces the boy had. He would have to keep a tracking device on the youth.

Orochimaru pulled the necklace that graced his own pale neck, a simple piece of string with a small plate adorning the kanji for 'power' on it. Quickly he performed a jutsu that would be connected to him, allowing him to always know where the youth was. He could sense the eyes were still upon him, and glancing up proved it to be true. The eyes followed his hands, but nothing else moved.

Orochimaru held up the necklace as an offering, and for a moment he wondered if the child would take it, for the eyes stared almost with little interest at the object. Then the eyes moved toward his face again, but the child remained immobile.

One second, the necklace was dangling from his fingers, the next Uzumaki was weaving through the trees making quick distance between them, the necklace gone. Orochimaru noticed that unlike the ninja, who jumped from branch to branch, Naruto weaved through the branches, each movement fluid and loose, yet each out-stretch of an arm or leg brought him to the branch he desired. In terms of combat, he would be a hard target in the trees because he did not move in a straight line. Where one thought he would land might be the branch he was planning to hang under before swinging to a completely different one.

Suddenly the aspect of the Uchiha seemed less appealing.

------------

Sunny liked snakes. They were fun to play with; very lazy but quick to anger. Sunny had learned speed and agility by dodging the lightning fast attacks from pissed off snakes that he had been taunting. And if humans could become snakes, this human would be the prime example of the ability. It had utterly serpentine features, thin face and high cheek bones, yellow slitted eyes surrounded by purple flesh. But even if it looked like one, it smelled like one more. Sunny sniffed the scent that wafted off the human's flesh and almost felt glee at the familiar dry musky scent that snakes often gave off. It smelled like the discarded skins of snakes.

Sunny's eyes darted here and there, ears pricked sharp, listening and searching for other human's nearby. But there were none, and if he wanted to make a meal of this one, no one would hear its screams. His eyes fell back on the human, who seemed to be inspecting him. Sunny could smell no fear on this one. How interesting. He also found the glossy black hair fascinating. He wanted to touch it. Sunny placed his left hand on the tree to bring himself slightly closer to the human.

Words poured from the human's mouth, a language that only human's knew, but they meant nothing to him. He did not talk to his meals.

Sunny gripped his left hand on the tree for balance and leaned forward, reaching out his right hand to feel the human's hair. The human opened its mouth, and a quick glance showed that the human had no dangerous teeth, but a rather long tongue that reached out and ran itself along his bloody shoulder. Only Krik had ever bothered to lick his wounds, and he had stopped when his blood had begun to burn his tongue. Did the human not see that his wound had healed already? Ah, but humans did not heal quickly at all. Perhaps the human thought he was one of them, something that Krik often told him was a great asset. But now Sunny suspected he may have been lying.

Then it happened. The human used the _source_ somehow. This _source_ was much different than his, felt much different, but it was the _source_. Suddenly, he wasn't so curious about this human. He let the strands fall calmly through his fingers and licked his own shoulder, wondering if the _source_ was on him now as he slowly pulled himself back into the tree. He would not make any sudden movements. He stilled himself and waited, watched as the human eyed him, as if wondering what to do with him.

Krik had said that the humans with the _source_ would kill him, could kill him, and he wondered if he could strike this creature before it attacked him. It would be quick, he could tear out its throat with one swipe. Or maybe he could use the _source_ hands to grab the human.

…Why the hell hadn't he thought of that when he was attacking Tsorn?

Suddenly the human was pulling a necklace from its neck, one that had a shine to it that he liked, but felt his interest drop when the human moved his hands strangely and he felt the _source _move from the fingers to the necklace.

Change of plans.

If the human attacked, he would rip its hands from its body, because suddenly the neck seemed inefficient. He had seen humans run with torn throats before. If this human only needed his hands, he could still deal damage. He watched those hands as the human lifted the one with the necklace and held it out to him.

_For me? _

Perhaps the human was begging for its life? Spayt had said that when humans wailed in their language before they killed them, that they were begging for their lives.

'Please don't kill me', was a series of sounds he heard often enough that he actually wondered what they meant.

He eyed the necklace. He could take the necklace, then brag about how frightened the human was of him. Ok, so the human did not smell of fear, but they wouldn't know that. And he did like the way it shined in the light. Though Tsorn would say it attracted too much attention. But then, Tsorn won't be saying much to him after he shows him his _source_ hands.

Making up his mind, Sunny snatched the necklace from the human's hand and sped off through the trees.

Oh, Tsorn was going to be sorry.

Oh…and he'll remember this human. He mentally stored the scent of snake in the back of his mind. He liked snakes.

------------

They were close. Yaze village had claimed to feel a presence in the forest earlier that day, and on inspection, they had found large foot prints of some kind of humanoid beast.

"They're close," Keitaro murmured as he knelt before the prints. "they must be deeper in the forest. Keep your weapons free," he said as he stood up. "We're going in."

Takezo took a deep and held hit katana tightly. They were so close.

TBC 

**If anyone is wondering why Orochimaru licked Sunny/Naruto, well, he's just creepy.**

**Everyone has a little obsession. Peppermint leaves are Sunny's/Naruto's.**


	6. Brothers of Blood

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor will I ever.**

**Chapter Five**

_**Brothers of Blood**_

Sunny landed gracefully amongst the pack and headed straight for Krik, eager to show off the new necklace. The leader was crouched quietly under a tree staring silently at nothing. The pack usually did that.

"Krik! Look what I got from a strange human!"

Krik lifted his head and stared at the necklace. "What?" he straightened his body and stood up. "There should be no humans here." He said as he snatched the necklace from Sunny's fingers and sniffed it. "This has the _source_! You came across a human with the _source_?! How far from here was it?"

Sunny shrank away red eyes darting to the others.

"W-Well, it didn't threaten me!"

Krik growled angrily and moved to swat the demon child away, but Sunny leaped into the trees, inadvertently landing near Tsorn, who grabbed his small ankle and hung him upside-down.

Now was his chance. Sunny twisted his body and clawed at Tsorn's thick wrist, his own nails hardening to suit the situation. Tsorn hissed in pain and released the demon child, but quickly leaped from the tree to follow the youth to the forest floor. Just before Sunny's body connected with the dirt, he twisted around and looked up at the descending demon. His red eyes flashed, and bursting from the ground came two large clawed hands, the size of Tsorn's torso, sailing past the small youth's body and gripping the larger demon around the ribs. Tsorn howled as the _source _hands connected with his flesh and immediately began to burn on contact. He tried to twist his body away, tried to release himself from the massive hands, but the burning grip was already crushing his sturdy ribs.

Sunny landed on the floor with one arm and leg and managed to swiftly leap out of the way as Tsorn and his _source_ hands came crashing down. The twigs and branches that had made the descent with them caught fire when they were touched by the angry _source_, and joined by the sizzling of the writhing Tsorn's flesh. Tsorn crashed to the ground and screamed as his flesh began to peel back and crumble as the hands tightened their grip.

Sunny stood up and bounced in malicious glee as Tsorn writhed in pain. It was almost as if the hands were his actual limbs, as if_ he_ were grasping the older demon himself. He could feel Tsorn's skin crunch, could-

A shadow thumped to his side and Krik grabbed his arm viciously.

"Sun! Stop this immediately!" He violently shook the youth, making Sunny's head snap back and forth and his arm, which was held within his large hand, pop out of his shoulder. Sunny gave a small grunt, but the _source _hands released Tsorn with a red puff, covering the area in it crimson miasma. Tsorn gave a weak whimper as he attempted to crawl away into the bushes. The flesh had been burned down to the bone so that one could see his ribs and spine.

"Look at what you've done to your brother!" he bellowed, continuously shaking the youth so that his teeth rattled and his dislocated arm began to swell at the continued abuse. "You _never_ attack your pack with the _source_! Do you hear me Sun? Never! Answer me!"

Sunny glared up into his enraged yellow eyes, and for a second Krik saw something else in them. He saw the _Master_, with his burning hatred and love for carnage. He felt its fury beneath the surface, and for a moment braced himself for those dreadful hands to be turned on him. But as suddenly as it came, it drained away, turning his eyes to such a blue he almost gasped. Whenever Sunny was feeling a particularly strong emotion that wasn't hate or anger, his eyes tended to revert back to their original color before the _change_. Sunny's now blue eyes deadened, and the boy slumped toward the dirt, his arm protesting as Krik held him up by the now swollen appendage. Sunny's pain tolerance never failed to surprise him.

Seeing that the youth was taking his chastisement seriously, Krik released his arm and let the boy flop lifelessly into the dirt. He then turned his attention to his moaning brother. Spayt and Tkaa hovered over him as he sat hunched in the debris, yellow eyes clouded in pain. Occasionally Tkaa would lick the raw meat on his back in a joint attempt to speed along the healing and to soothe his wounded sibling.

Krik sighed.

It had been a long time since one of them had been hurt this badly. He glanced back at Sunny, who remained as he had left him, lying on the ground as if he were dead. Krik turned back to his siblings.

"How long do you estimate for that to heal?" he asked Tkaa, for he was always one to catalogue things like time and place. Tkaa frowned.

"The damage is severe, but it will heal in a few days-no more than four. We shouldn't move him much though, and I fear it will be a very painful healing process."

Krik rolled his shoulders in agitation and allowed himself a moment to decide. If the human with the _source_ had given the trinket to Sunny, it must be an overture of friendship; Sunny had that effect on some humans. It was dangerous to remain here, and yet, they should not move Tsorn for at least for days. Krik scowled.

"We'll have to stay here then, until he heals. I'll go check the perimeter to make sure there are no humans nearby." He turned and passed by Sunny, whose eyes had begun to glaze over. He was half on his stomach and half on his side.

Krik grumbled and moved on. This was just another familiar technique Sunny pulled when he was in trouble. Krik vaguely wondered how long the boy would lay there.

---------------

"_I'm_ the one constantly in pain, and _he's_ moping around??!! This is ridiculous! Make the wretch get up and apologize!"

Tkaa sighed and glanced down at the blonde demon laying covered in leaves and dirt. Sunny had not moved, or so much as twitched in the last three days. Most of Tsorn's flesh had been repaired, through he complained constantly about the burning, to the point that Spayt stopped caring and had taken to sneering at him behind his back.

Spayt dropped from a tree and walked over to the prone Sunny, sniffing him over and nudging his still dislocated shoulder. "Why hasn't that healed already?" he asked with a frown.

Tkaa lifted his head from his spot under a tree and glanced listlessly at the two.

"His arm has been pulled out of his shoulder," he replied dryly. "It must be popped back in by an outside source."

"Don't fix it you fool," Tsorn snapped from where he sat, eyes glaring hatefully at the dirty child. "Make him suffer, like I am."

Spayt lifted his head from Sunny's shoulder and seemed to puff up in indignation.

"You're the one being ridiculous! You forget how young Sunny is! He's just a baby! He isn't even a decade old yet! And you're the one acting like a child! You're almost healed…get over it already! You're just pissed because he one-upped you."

Tkaa lifted his head in surprise, and immediately silenced Tsorn when he opened his mouth to retort.

"You are right. Sunny _is_ just a child. And he is not of our blood; he is not bound to us." Tkaa stood up. "I must speak with Krik. Behave yourselves. You're Demons- not animals."

With that he leapt into the trees fluidly and disappeared from view. Tsorn grunted and turned his back on the other two, while Spayt nudged Sunny's damaged shoulder, which had now turned a beautiful black and purple, colors Spayt felt looked good against Sunny's golden skin.

-----------------

Two hours later he returned with Krik, who looked uneasy and distracted.

"There's a group of humans not far from here, all with the _source_. They are heading in this direction- perhaps they sensed Sunny's _source_," Tkaa spoke in a rush. "We must leave quickly."

"But first we must bind Sunny to us. SUN. Come here." Krik called in a commanding voice.

As if he hadn't spent the last three days playing dead, Sunny's head lifted from the dirt, eyes red and alert, fixed on Krik. Immediately he jumped to his feet, twisted then popped his arm in place, then scampered over to the others. Then he felt them, far off, but coming close- humans with the _source_. His sharp ears began to pick up the sound of their breaths, the beat of their footfalls as they moved along. The sky grumbled, the clouds clashed and the air smelled of the rain to come.

Krik captured his attention and spoke in rush.

"The humans coming this way are powerful- too powerful for you to fight," he said quickly as Sunny opened his mouth. "We're going to split from you, but first we must bond you to us. Make you our brother in blood." Sunny's eyes widened as he watched the others run a claw against their palms, drawing their blood. Quickly he ran his index claw over his right hand palm, then jumped when Krik grabbed it, pressing his cut against his own, then thrusting his hand to the others, who quickly grabbed his palm. It was all so quick, and gave him the sense that if done under other circumstances, it would be an honorary moment. But danger was near, and the cut was beginning to heal.

Then awareness hit him even as Krik grabbed his previously damaged arm and took to the trees. He could feel them, their blood running through his veins, their minds opening to him. He felt such a closeness that was unlikely to be felt outside the womb. And for that brief moment, he was content- he was complete, all was right with the world, as if so much had been wrong and his eyes had been opened to it.

Then Krik stopped on a branch as the others continued on, and spun Sunny to him.

"Sunny listen to me. Now that you are bonded to us- _don't _look away," He grabbed Sunny's head in his massive hands when Sunny made attempt to look behind them. "You are one of us by blood now. And as your leader, you must obey me." Sunny's eyes widened. "You must NOT use the _source_ right now Sunny. They will follow us, you understand? You must get as far from here and hide."

Sunny tried to shake his head in Krik's massive grip and then tried to pull away from him, but Krik's gripped tightened and his yellow eyes began to glow.

"I _order_ you to do as I say. You must not follow us. We will find you later." Krik allowed Sunny to pull his face from his hands as the first drops fell from the sky. Sunny stepped back from him, eyes incredulous at the stir in his blood, the stir that told him to do as his leader commanded.

"Go." Krik quietly as the humans neared.

Sunny turned, but never took his eyes from Krik. Then he turned and disappeared into the trees.

Krik turned to follow his brothers. The rain began to fall like a sheet of gray. Were the skies already mourning?

--------------------

Two miles to the south, Sunny stopped and looked back to the way he had come, his body slick with the pouring rain, hair plastered to his flesh. He did not like Krik's words, words that had felt final. He didn't like how he suddenly had to do as Krik said, not that he didn't always do that anyway. But Krik had a power over him that at on one side, pleased him, and on the other, grated his nerves. He had always wondered why Tsorn never picked up and left on his own if he didn't like Krik so much, but now he understood. Tsorn didn't have a choice.

A flash before his eyes, Sunny jerked his head back with a gasp, and the echo of pain that was not his. Sunny's eyes widened. Through his new connection, he began to catch glimpses of what was happening with his brothers. There was a flash, he saw Spayt's severed arm, saw a human throw something sharp that spun and dug into his shoulder. He saw the cryptic hand movements from another human, and gave a small scream of horror as a thick bolt of lightning hit Spayt as Tkaa leaped to his aid.

They were being slaughtered! His pack. Sunny raced forward, putting the _source _into his legs to increase his speed. He would get there in time. As he made the leap from one tree to another, something snapped in his mind, then a sense of immense loss, causing him to miss his step and crash down into the mud. Sunny gripped his head and cried out in despair.

Spayt was dead. The connection to him was gone.

Sunny pulled himself to his feet, wailing all the while as he staggered in a weak attempt to make it to his brothers. He could not focus on the _source_, could not pool it to his feet like he had done before. He could only run in their direction, hoping that he would arrive in time to save his pack. Branches lashed into him, the rain pounded at his body, but he moved on, feeling waves of sickness hit him from many sides. Someone was in pain, then another. Flashes of earth- flashes of thick vines covered in dagger-like thorns, digging into his neck- no- Tkaa's neck.

Sunny ran head on into a tree, staggered back and fell into the mud, head spinning, eyes unfocused. Then his ears picked up a bombardment of screams. He could hear the familiar roar of Krik and the screech of Tsorn. Sunny crawled to the clearing, eyes rolling in their sockets before falling on the scene.

There were five humans, four standing and one crumpled at Krik's feet, half of its skull missing. Nearby lay Spayt, his body smoking and blackened. Tkaa lay not two feet from him, emersed in thick vines, head severed from his body. There was a look of resignation still pasted on his features, like this all had been expected and unavoidable. Sunny rocked back on his heels, face frozen in a mask of horror.

The humans had formed a circle around the remaining demons; Tsorn lay slumped near Krik, body embedded with sharp metal objects. There was a large hole on the left side of Krik's chest, and he was making attempts to protect Tsorn. Sunny made to run to his aid, but Krik saw him; his pain filled eyes held one command. _Stay._

The humans put their hands together, made strange movements and yelled a strange string of words together in unison. A wave of _source _blew over him, and Sunny watched in horror as the very ground soared up over fifty feet in the air, hovered for a moment before making its descent down upon the two demons.

Krik's eyes never left his.

--------------------

The battle had been going their way; the demons didn't know any jutsu, didn't seem to have chakra period. One was already wounded apparently, from what they did not know, but they found they did not have to worry much. These were minor creatures, not like the bijuu that was often a villages' worst nightmare. These were easily dealt with; they were Anbu after all. The demons were fast though, quick, and had demonstrated how powerful a hit could be. One hit to the head had killed Yoshiru, a valued member of the team.. A raiton justu had taken down one of them, a good doton for the other. In the end they decided to crush the other two, end a battle that should not have seen casualty on their side.

The mud crashed down on the two demons, immediately crushing the slumped one, but knocking the one that stood over Yoshiru, crushing its body and causing its eyes to pop out of its skull. Then it was done. They had tracked these demons over two continents and had lost one comrade.

The Nin stood in the rain, staring at the head of the demon, and at the place where Yoshiru lay covered. Off to the side, Takezo stood, eyes wide, kunai in hand. The man had finally gotten what he wanted.

"Vengeance is-''

Keitaro's words were cut short as an earsplitting wail came from the forest. Ninja spun, eyes alert, then shocked as a muddy child with the bluest eyes they had ever seen came running towards them, arms out in supplication as he passed then and dropped to his knees before the demon's head. The wailing continued in the way only a child's could, without reserve, without shame. Strange sounds came from his lips, words impossible to say with a human mouth, and the child bent over the head, burying its face into the top of the skull.

"Who?" Muragi questioned and took a step toward the child. Before he came to his side, the child leaped up and began to dig through the mound of mud, as if to find the bodies, all the while sobbing uncontrollably, tears and rain streaking down his face. Frantic eyes found them, and there was such accusation in his eyes, that Takezo flinched and looked away.

Keitaro did not flinch. But his eyes widened.

"Jinchuuriki!" he hissed, and the others immediately readied themselves with what might be their final battle if this was a powerful one.

But the child seemed to forget them, instead grabbing at its rain slickened hair and burying its face in the mud, muffling his screams. It was the kind of grief that made people vomit, or pass out, such as the child was behaving, on his knees with his face in the mud.

"We should go," Takezo whispered, looking away from the grieving child. "We should go."

Keitaro glanced at Muragi, whom was nursing a crushed arm, eyes riveted on the weeping child.

"We'll tend to our wounds, come. Let us leave the…child to his business."

Muragi lifted his head, then grimaced, holding his arm in pain. "What about the Jinchuuriki?"

Keitaro shook his head. "Leave him. He's not part of the mission."

"What about Yoshiru?"

Keitaro turned and began to walk toward the woods for cover. "Leave him. We'll get him when we're healed." He nodded to their medic nin, who looked like she wanted to comfort the still grieving child. "Leave him, Kaede. He'll likely hurt you if you touch him." The medic nin nodded and went to Muragi to assess his wounds.

Takezo was last to leave the battlefield, eyes lingering on the child, who was now rocking back and forth, moaning audibly over the onslaught of rain. The eyes were a devastating blue- the child was quite beautiful actually. But he knew what a Jinchuuriki was, knew that this was really a demon in disguise.

So why were his tears so human?

**TBC**

**Though the connection was very brief, Sunny's/Naruto's grieving is influenced by all the previous years in which they had raised him and ****I know, the death of the pack was a bit melodramatic. But to get myself in the mood for a tragedy, I put on the LOTR original soundtrack and played the song where Boromir dies. I always want to cry on that. I also played the one where Gandalf 'dies' too. The song of sadness was great for this chapter. But now that the pack is dead, the story will definitely become exciting.**


	7. Defeat and Despair

Disclaimer: Naruto does not and never will belong to Daystar Clarion 

**Seek my profile and see the pictures that inspired Dancing with Demons!**

**Chapter Six **

**_Defeat and Despair_**

The torrent of rain finally stopped its onslaught of rain a few hours after the battle, allowing the drenched and healed shinobi to slip from their makeshift shelters. Moving toward the site of the battle, they grimaced at the sight of the Jinchuuriki child, who sat atop the mound of mood, face reddened by the strain of his own grief.

"What do we do now?" Takezo whispered while Kaede approached Keitaro.

"Captain, its just a child," She murmured. "Perhaps if we showed compassion, this may not come to blows."

Keitaro tensed. "I doubt that," he replied grimly, jerking his head toward the demon child.

The child lifted its head, face set in misery, blue eyes falling upon them. The small body stiffened, the pretty blue eyes began to turn a deep purple, then an angry red, the pupils thinning and becoming cat like slits. The child moved to his knees and crawled sinuously down the mound, his small child-like body moving with such grace that it almost seemed bizarre.

"Shit," Kaede hissed as the child's hands touched the soaked ground and then his feet. The child stood up, remained in a slight crouch, then became still.

"Takezo please stay out of the way," Keitaro ordered calmly, and saw the man back away toward the foliage, yet remaining in sight. The jinchuuriki's eyes shifted toward the man then back at them. It was the moment before a deadly battle-a standstill, when each opponent is waiting to see who would make the first move. But the child was so still-like he was carved from marble. He had never seen a living thing become so immobile, and yet the tension was thick enough to shave with.

"Do you feel that?" Muragi gasped suddenly, and then he became aware of it. He had been mistaken. It was not tension that he felt-but chakra, so much chakra that his ears began to pop with the pressure.

His eyes trained on the boy with a new light, he began to see a slightly reddish haze begin to flow around the motionless child. The boy seemed to be gathering chakra! What kind of bijuu rested within him? Was this battle really worth it? There was a twitch of his facial muscles, the first movement the boy allowed, then the attack came.

The ground exploded beneath them, tossing the shinobi into the air like rag dolls. Quickly they controlled their fall, only to gasp at the sight of two large red chakra hands reaching out to grab Muragi, who quickly performed a kawamari as the chakra gripped his leg. Immediately he popped into a log, and as the hands gripped it, they watched grimly as the log caught fire then was crushed in the powerful grip

Keitaro landed gracefully on his feet, attention riveted on the angry jinchuuriki, and was surprised to see the startled look on the demon child's face. The child's red eyes seemed momentarily fixated on the smoldering pieces of log wood before they fell on him. The child bared teeth, showing sharp incisors. But there was fear along with the rage.

Had the boy never seen a basic jutsu before? Something even an academy student could do? He remembered when he saw his first displacement jutsu, how awed he was and excited to learn. And yes, he also remembered the fear. Keitaro ran his eyes over the child's body. No muscle tone, no calluses, the boy seemed feral with no ninja training to go with all that chakra. This should be as easy a win as the others.

Muragi, who had settled in the nearby trees, must have come to the same conclusion and quickly performed the seals for shadow clones, summoning forty of them onto the battlefield.

A flustered look passed over the demon's face and he spun in a circle as the forty Muragi shadow clones surrounded him. The chakra hands that had been occupied with trying to grab Kaede hesitated and stilled. Keitaro took his opportunity and threw several kunai at the youth, and was actually surprised as they hit their mark, sinking into the child's back.

The child cried out in pain and made an attempt to grab the embedded kunai from his flesh, his face twisted in misery, his eyes changing from their angry red to a dull blue. The chakra hands sank into the earth as the child crouched on his haunches, trying to grab the hilt of the kunai, seemingly having forgot the battle.

Assuredly this child had never been in one before, if it completely discarded the battle it was in- in favor of nursing a wound. Perhaps this child had never fought a human before? And if not, what did that mean?

Muragi leaped from the tree, short bladed katana unsheathed and dropped to the boy's side. Muragi had always been a quick killer; he seemed to favor severing heads from bodies. He was also careless.

As he landed at the jinchuuriki's side, the helpless pained look disappeared, the eyes changed back, and with a speed that they had never seen before, slipped behind the shinobi, leaped onto his back, and buried his face into the man's neck. Muragi screamed, dropping his katana in favor of grabbing the child's head. Kaede shouted and leaped at the youth, her hands fueled with chakra that would burn upon contact. But the boy pushed off the anbu and soared away from them, landing on all fours, eyes taking them in, body becoming still once again.

Kaede clutched Muragi before he collapsed to the ground, ready to heal the damage done to his neck. His neck was a bloody mess, and it was hard to see the extent of the damage with Kaede's healing hands covering the wound. Keitaro turned his attention to the demon. The child's mouth was smeared with Muragi's blood, and as if just noticing it, a blood coated tongue slipped from the small lips and swiped at his mouth. Four shuriken soared towards him, reminding Keitaro of the old man-Takezo, and began to perform a simple genjutsu.

As Kaede worked to heal Muragi' s wounds, Keitaro saw the child slap a shuriken out of the air and slink sideways to avoid the rest.

This battle was an easy one. The child had chakra, so much of it, but didn't know how to do any justu. It had speed and agility, but obviously had never fought humans before. Jinchuuriki yes, but still nothing more than a child.

The seals were finished, a minor and quick one- made to cause disorientation. It would seem as if the world itself were tilting.

He really didn't want to fight this child. He wanted to collect his fallen teammate and go, report to his Kage, and kiss his wife.

----------------

Sunny sent his _source _hands toward the stupid human, intending to rend it to bits, when his vision began to swirl, making him drop the _source_ and stagger to his feet, trying to gain equilibrium. The world would not comply. Sunny staggered to the side, tripped over his own foot, and crashed to the muddy ground. He saw one of the humans throw several of the sharp things at him. He surged to his feet, made to dodge them, but apparently went the wrong way as the objects embedded themselves into his stomach and chest.

Sunny crashed into a tree behind him, causing the sharp objects in his back to sink in further, one scraping his spine causing spots of pain to burst up his spine and causing flashy lights to explode behind his eyes.

He had lost the fight, he knew, as turned and rushed into the cover of the forest, smacking into trees and tripping over roots- making his wounds worse all the while. The things these humans could do frightened him; turning into logs and then making more of themselves…

He had been beaten by humans with the _source_, just like Krik said he would.

----------------

The jinchuuriki had run off into the forest, making a wise- but noisy retreat. Immediately Keitaro dropped to Kaede's side, taking in the damage.

"Will you be able to heal him?"

Kaede shook her head and grunted. "I've already healed the wound. The child missed his artery- only took a piece of flesh off. But that's not the problem."

"What is?" the captain asked, spotting the old man as he came to their side, face weary, eyes haunted.

"I can't seem to fight this infection."

Keitaro's attention dropped back to Muragi's neck, though still bloody, seemed healed. Only what looked like an embarrassing black hickey remained. "He was bitten two minutes ago."

"Yes I know. But the bite seems more deadly than that. We need to get him back to the village."

Keitaro nodded and stood up.

Yoshiru would have to wait

----------------------

Three miles east of the shinobi sat a sobbing, bloody, blond child with five metal objects embedded in his back, two in his chest, and one in his stomach. There was mud caked over most of his small body and blood running from the wounds mixed in with it. But the tears were from emotional pain and not the physical.

Krik…Tkaa…Spayt…Tsorn- they were all gone. Dead. And he was alone.

One minute he had been fighting with Tsorn- the next they were dead. It all seemed so unreal that he wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't witnessed the whole thing. And by humans! no less. Sunny gave a gurgling sob as he viciously pulled the metal objects from his stomach and chest, then began to twist around uncomfortably to reach the others. He managed to grab one and pull it out- albeit tilting it so he caused more damage than he wanted. The others came out after more painful twisting and the child sat amongst the instruments of pain, feeling hollow.

They were gone. How had those filthy humans found-

Any remaining color drained from his face. Tkaa had said the humans had sensed his _source_.

_His_ _source_.

He had led them to their deaths, he had paved the path to his own packs' annihilation. Sunny's face scrunched up and he began to pull on his hair again, his tangled feathers falling into the dirt. More tears came as he began to bash his head into the dirt. He should be dead. He should be with the pack right now, a corpse like they were.

Sunny stopped banging his head and jumped to his feet, his wounds long since healed and rammed his fist into the trunk of a nearby tree, hearing the wood splinter as he turned away and glared despairingly into the foliage. He could not bear another moment with this knowledge- could not spend eternity knowing-

The sound of the tree crashing down missed his ears as the tree toppled over, one of its thick branches colliding with the top of his skull and sending the child into immediate unconsciousness.

The first time in seven years.

--

Sunny awoke with a start and jumped to his feet- red eyes wide with surprise and confusion. What had just happened? One moment he had been angry, the next getting up off the ground. He glanced at the tree and put two and two together.

Sunny slumped down next to the fallen tree and rubbed his face miserably. He was sad, he was confused- he tipped to his side and rolled into a ball. All he could do was lie there and hope for oblivion. He took a deep breath and became still. Resting wasn't going to come for a few days, but he was content to mimic it.

After all, life no longer had any meaning.

------------------

TWO WEEKS LATER 

She was embarrassed to say that she had inadvertently become a hermit. How it happened, wasn't exactly clear, but at the ripe old age of sixty-two, she was acutely aware that time was no longer on her side.

_Not that I have anything urgent to do_, Mayu thought with a dry chuckle. She had always been fond of nature, and as she had gotten older, had spent more time in the forests, becoming an old wayfarer at the time when she should have been spending her days on some porch somewhere, reminiscing about times past and when her children were young. Maybe she would have, if she had any children.

Mayu sighed and pulled some berries off of the thorny plant as she foraged through the forest. The wilderness was no place for an old woman, and she wondered if she should head back to civilization soon.

She straightened from her crouch and groaned at the ache in her lower back, which always became stiff when given half the chance. Her small cottage, which had been for fur trapping in its previous life, sat not a mile from her current position, and she wondered if she could make it back before sunset. She hated traveling at night, not because of fear, but because her eyesight wasn't getting any better with age, and the darkness of a forest can be absolute.

Mayu placed her basket in the crook of her arm and turned to leave, when she spotted a snake lying nearby. Her heart surged into her throat as she froze in place, then gave a small sigh of relief. It was green, a harmless garden snake, not even poisonous. Mayu put a wrinkled hand to her chest and listened to her thudding heart. She was too old for scares like this, and the receding adrenaline rush was leaving her weak.

While she waited for the weakness to pass, she eyed the serpent, and was startled to see that there was a distinct bite taken out of it. Frowning, Mayu crouched down slowly and eyed the wound. The wound must have been recent, for the blood still glistened and the flesh was still pink. But what sent the gray hair on her head on end was the perfect human shaped bite, as if someone took a chunk out of the serpent then decided that he/she didn't like the taste.

The snake wasn't cooked…

Mayu straightened and allowed her eyes to scan the thick foliage of the healthy forest. Was there another person out here, perhaps lost and ravenously hungry? Mayu bit her lip and began to push through some of the bushes, brushing off tumbling spiders as she passed through their webs. Perhaps-

Mayu popped into a small clearing and practically yelped at the sight of the small, grungy child that sat on the forest floor.

"Good lord child! You almost gave me a heart attack!" and not to sound accusatory, "Not that I don't have one coming soon anyway." She stared intently at the youth. He looked around eight or nine, undernourished and dirty, so that his skin seemed an earthy brown. The hair was matted, yet traces of yellow gold popped here and there under the filth. He was naked, and obviously male, though he wore much jewelry. Nothing flashy or expensive, most of it looked home-made.

The child lifted his head and Mayu sighed. The eyes were such a pretty blue, but filled with such despair. Obviously someone had decided to abandon the poor thing. Why was it that there were people who had children and didn't want them, while there were people who desperately wanted them but couldn't have any? It was so unfair, and it seemed someone had dumped a little angel out in the forest, to starve and die.

"Hey there little one," she said gently and slowly walked to the child's side, careful not to spook him. "are you hungry? I've got little on me, but if you come home with me, I can make you a nice meal."

Despite the apparent despair, the boy's eyes seemed sharp and watchful, and they followed her movements. There was an air of steadiness that seemed unnatural in a child his age, but he made no movements or sign that he understood her words. Kneeling down next to him, she reached out slowly and placed her hand on his forehead in a soothing motion. Some thing flashed in his eyes, perhaps an echo of rage, but the boy's shoulders sagged and his head fell dejectedly to his chest.

Her heart went out to him.

---

Over the days he had taken to wandering about aimlessly, no where to go and not really caring. He had never been alone like this, and he found it maddening, the silence, the isolation. Though the forest was teeming with life, most of the animals fled when he approached. His appetite was non-existent; he had no energy to hunt for food, and had little control to _Lure _anything in. He came across no other demons in the wilderness, and stopped wondering when he would. He had never seen any other when he was with the pack. The pack had been his world. There was him, there was them, there were the animals and the humans, and that was it.

Now there was just him.

_Resting_ was welcome, for he found that he thought less when pulled into the stupor, and had discovered that _resting _was lasting longer than it used to. He could only connect it with the fact that he hadn't been eating much, he'd used up much of his reserves, and his body was weakening. Would he fall into a permanent _resting _when his body became too weak? Or would he fall into that oblivion, that puzzling darkness that he had experienced many days ago.

There was a hissing near his foot, and Sunny glanced down listlessly at the green snake that reared its small body at him. Right now he hated snakes- snakes were nothing but trouble, and that _particular_ snake had ruined everything. Occasionally the flash of the newly acquired necklace would remind him of him.

Sunny's hand flashed down and grabbed the snake around its middle, the small serpent writhed and sank its small fangs into his arm. Feeling agitated, Sunny grabbed its head with his free arm and yanked it from his arm, scowling as its fangs tore at his dirty flesh. In retaliation, or perhaps to revive a diminishing appetite, Sunny took a solid bite out of the snake and chewed experimentally. It tasted of dead leaves. With a sigh, Sunny tossed the snake far from him and slumped to the ground. Before, he had never understood what tired was, how it felt, and why it was that most creatures besides he felt it. But now, tired was all he felt.

The sound of feet met his tired ears, the scent of human soon after, and Sunny was aware that there was a human within the vicinity. How far had he wandered? He searched for the traces of the _source_, wary that this could be one of _them_, but there was none. It was an ordinary, pathetic, human. It would be so easy to kill…if he could muster the energy.

Then the human was in the area, and the sound of their language assaulted his sensitive ears. He was startled at the relief he felt, but understood. He'd been so lonely, that even though he was likely to kill the human, he was grateful for its presence. He lifted his head and stared at the human.

It was one of the decaying ones, the dying ones. Krik had said that humans were fragile creatures, and that there were a million and one ways to kill them. They healed slowly, caught multiple ailments many times a year, and after a while, their bodies began to rot around them until they died. The decaying ones tasted dull and gamey- too much flesh and very little meat. Their bones were always brittle and the succulent marrow lacked the vibrant taste he always enjoyed. But the worst thing was that their hearts were useless to dine on, his favorite part of the human body.

As the decaying human…female? slowly made it to his side, cooing all the while, Sunny felt another wave of despair. He wasn't hungry, and this filthy human wasn't going to do anything for his appetite. Its wrinkled hand reached out and touched his forehead.

His world shattered. He was so lonely. He missed the pack, missed the world that he knew and loved.

And its touch was _so_ welcome.

----------------------

Keitaro sat grimly in Anbu HQ, finishing his report, and worrying over Muragi's wound, that constantly burned. He had yet to leave the hospital, and it seemed that the blackness left behind from the bite was spreading. Then there was the previous mission, which had disturbed him. Upon returning to dig up Yoshiru's body, not only was the mound of dirt dug up, but Yoshiru's corpse was no where in sight. Along with the missing cadaver, only three demons remained. The one burnt to a crisp, the one with the severed head, and the mostly crushed one, whose head had escaped being squashed. The other, was gone- the one that had been injured from the get-go. How had it survived? And most importantly, where was it now?

Was it seeking out the jinchuuriki?

**TBC**

**Just so you know, the characters thus far are:**

**Sunny/Naruto: Main Character**

**Keitaro: Anbu Captain**

**Muragi: Anbu teammate**

**Kaede: Anbu Medic Nin**

**Yoshiru: Deceased teammate-killed by Krik**

**Takezo: Yumi's father- seeking vengeance for her death**

**-Disappointed that Sunny/Naruto was defeated so easily? Remember, he has no ninja training. Yet. Surprised that Tsorn's body is gone? Yes, me too.**

**Next Chapter- Sunny/Naruto learns to speak the human tongue- the road to revenge **

**begins.**


	8. Child of the Forest

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion

**READ BOTTOM WHEN FINISHED. VERY INFORMATIVE**

_**MS Word 97' says I write at a fifth grade level. I ignore it. It's half my age anyway.**_

**Chapter Seven**

_**Child of the Forest**_

Coaxing the child to follow her was a challenge since the boy seemed to have lost interest in her- not that he seemed interested in the first place. She also had the suspicion that her words fell on deaf ears, for there was little comprehension in those pretty eyes. Mayu took a dirty hand in her own and got to her feet, groaning at her protesting back. She tried to pull the boy to his feet but he remained slumped on the forest floor.

"Oh come now, sweetie. Lets get you to my home and get you cleaned up." The child glanced up at her and then pushed his feet under him and rising shakily to his feet. Mayu swallowed. He must be weak with hunger. She gripped his hand tightly which remained limp in her grasp and began to do what came naturally to her. Talk…She had no idea why she had become a hermit…

"Don't you worry," She said conversationally. "I've got lots of food back home. I can make pancakes and muffins-okay so they're prepackaged, but they're delicious. I live in the forest, but the nearest village is not so far from here." She glanced down at the boy's face. Even with the cover of dirt, she could see that he was beautiful- with such fine and perfectly symmetrical features that it almost seemed unnatural.

When she finally realized that talking wasn't necessary, she calmly trekked back to the cottage. Every now and then she would glance down at the youth and take in things that she found fascinating about him. One, was the way he walked, like he not only was a part of the forest, but owned it as well. While she crunched over fallen leaves and sticks, each step he took seemed perfectly placed. He all but glided as he walked, not a sound came from his footsteps. Another was his steady quiet eye that seemed completely focused on the path ahead- and yet- he seemed completely aware of his surroundings. This was proven true when a small fat rabbit dashed across their path, completely startling her-yet leaving the boy completely unperturbed. Only his eyes showed a quick and passing interest before they drifted back to the fore.

This child was in need of some serious rehabilitation.

"We're here," she murmured happily as they came upon the cottage. The sun had set in the horizon, which was hidden by the many trees that made up the forest. Immediately the boy stopped, eyes focused sharply on the cottage.

When she and her husband had come across the place in the beginning, it was a nightmare. It had started out as a small fur trapping business. At some point in time, the place was abandoned, and many of its victims remained. However, months of cleansing, planting, and rebuilding had turned the deathtrap into a lovely two-bed one bath haven. She had spent every summer here, and when her husband had passed away, somehow summers became falls, and soon after winters and springs. She had managed to isolate herself from the world, only going into town when supplies ran low.

She gently tugged on his arm, and was startled at how stiff and unyielding it had become, like a limb of lead. Looking upon the boy, she marveled at how still he had become, and the only thing that moved were his nostrils. Could he smell the death that had once taken place here? Was that even possible?

"Don't worry sweetie," she reassured while patting his stiff hand. "No one has died here…not for a long time anyway. You're completely safe here. I promise."

The boy glanced up at her with what looked like an annoyed look before taking a step forward. Mayu beamed and began to walk slowly toward her home, eyeing her flowers and roses to make sure they didn't need watering for the next day. As she stepped onto her spacious porch, she couldn't help but sigh with relief at being home. She couldn't imagine leaving this place for good, but she knew that when the time came- she didn't want to be all alone.

The boy pulled his hand out of her grip and slowly stepped up onto the porch, blue eyes darting here and there, taking in the screen door and the windows. A strange clicking sound began to rise from his throat, but he seemed unaware of it as he slowly touched her rocking chair with a grubby finger and watched as it gently rocked. She stood back and watched him as he peered about her porch, before his eyes fell on her again.

She swallowed.

There was a look in his eyes, a look so foreign that she was unsure of what it was. They were so steady, and calm, and slightly calculating. It made the hairs on her arms rise.

"What are you thinking," she whispered and felt a wave of relief as the look faded and the child began to gaze off somewhere. Rubbing her hands together, she decided to address the first thing on the agenda. A bath.

"Now I'm sure you're used to being dirty, but we need to get you cleaned up," she said and began to head into the house. The boy's eyes followed the swinging of the screen door before he nimbly approached and poked his head through the doorway, nostrils flaring and eyes darting here and there. "Come on," she gestured, and headed for the hallway, grinning as he took a careful step into the house, before quickly following her.

Mayu turned on the bathroom light, and turned to see him peering into her bedroom. His head swiveled toward her when she turned on the light and his beautiful blue eyes narrowed.

Mayu smiled and gestured for the boy to enter. The blond peered into the bathroom, sniffed, and she watched as his upper lip curled in disdain. Mayu peered around her spotless bathroom. Did it smell? The youth stepped in and eyed the toilet, then stared at her with disgust. Mayu blushed, pulled open the sliding door, and turned on the faucet for the tub. The boy took a fascinated step forward, clicking all the while, and stared in wonderment at the flowing faucet.

"This, my dear, is a bathtub." She poured some bath soap into the accumulating water. "This is something I hope you'll enjoy." The boy stood quietly, eyes narrowed- yet curious.

Mayu reached out and touched his wrist.

"Lets take off all you're jewelry first okay? So they don't get water damage." She fumbled to unhook one of the many bracelets. The blond eyed his wrist, then the water. His free hand flashed through his bracelets and they tumbled to the linoleum floor. In a matter of moments, bracelets, anklets, necklaces, and earrings became a pile on the floor, and he promptly stepped into the tub. A look of surprise passed over his face at the warm water, then he sat down with a splash into the tub and began to rub at his arms.

Mayu grabbed the shampoo, poured it into his filthy blond hair, and began to massage it into his hair. The boy paused in his rubbing, glanced at her, then continued to scrub on.

-------------

The first week living with the blond was actually the most interesting thing she had ever done. The first interesting thing was getting the child to bed. After he had rummaged through her house for a few hours, she had ushered him to the spare room. After the bath he had taken, he turned out to be the most beautiful boy she had ever seen. His hair all but glowed, along with his skin, that had turned out to be such a gentle tan under all that dirt. Was it even possible to look so perfect?

Pulling back the covers on the spare bed, she nudged him to lie down. He kept fixing her with puzzled and annoyed looks, as if he couldn't understand the concept of sleeping in a bed. She placed the pillow under his head and sighed.

Earlier she had tried to get him to eat something- a start in curing his slightly emaciated body, but the boy had made a face at her sandwiches and had ignored her in favor of exploring. She stared down at the child, wondering what his name was- yet too tired to go through the steps of finding out. The day had tired her out, and she couldn't wait to shower and sleep. She glanced at the boy and saw that his eyes remained open and watchful, his body motionless under the covers. His sapphire eyes remained on her, that calculating look again.

"What are you thinking?" she murmured, but he continued to watch her.

Mayu yawned and leaned back into the chair she had moved to the side of his bed.

_His bed._

Already the room was his, as if it had been waiting for the child. Mayu closed her eyes and relaxed. Life was going to be more interesting from now on. 

---------------

Mayu jerked awake, her back stiff and a kink in her neck. She groaned and sat up in the chair, rubbing her sore neck and moaning. Her eyes fell on the bed and froze. The covers were rumpled, but there was no child in them. Mayu jumped up and hissed as her back cracked. She shuffled out of the room and checked the bathroom. The bathtub was full of soapy water and the brown towel lay in a pile on the floor. He obviously was used to bathing regularly. A relief.

Quickly pulling the plug to drain the water, she rushed into the living-room and saw that it was empty; the kitchen gave the same results. Mayu's heart pounded. She turned and headed for the door, but paused when she noticed it was open.

The blond child was crouching on the porch, dressed in a white shirt she had given to him last night. The sun shown off his body, making him seem to glow. Mayu sighed at the ethereal picture the motionless child seemed to create and opened the screen door. The child did not give any indication that he had heard her, and as she approached, he remained in that painful crouch on the balls of his feet, elbows on his knees, face cradled in his delicate hands. His eyes were unreadable. What was he thinking about?

"Hey there. Are you hungry?"

The boy glanced at her, but seemed to lose interest immediately.

Mayu stepped in front of him and poked a finger to her chest.

"Mayu. My- yooo," she pointed to him, ignoring the annoyed expression. She pointed to herself again. "Mayu." She pointed to him again.

The boy glanced over her shoulder into the sun. Mayu turned, squinted into the light, then turned back to the youth. He opened his mouth, and a sound- or was it a word? slurred out of his mouth. It sounded so sinister and so unnatural-even impossible- that it sent shivers down her spine. His nostrils flared and he lifted his head slightly, something shifting in his eyes as he stared at her. This was the second time she had seen that look, and she now understood. It was the look of a predator.

"W-What?" she stuttered nervously, eyes trapped. The look was still there, watching her. It was the calculating look times ten. Then the boy removed his hand from cradling his face and pointed over her shoulder. Mayu hesitated to turn her back. But she did, yet the sun was in her way. Mayu turned back, however the child was still pointing. Mayu turned back, then understood.

"S-Sun?" she asked incredulously, and pointed at it. "Sun? Or, Sunny?"

The boy replaced his hand back in its spot and gazed silently at her.

"So your name is Sunny. What an appropriate name. Mayu," she pointed to herself, then pointed at him. "Sunny. Mayu. Sunny."

The gaze became more intense; the child began to grasp what she was implying.

"Sooony," he said suddenly, and she winced when something was mixed with it. She didn't know how it was possible, but when he said his name, he also made another sound, something dark and heavy, completely contradictory to his actual wording, and impossible to say without a second head…or mouth…or something.

"Suh-nee," she corrected.

The boy swallowed, as if to clear his throat, and a look of concentration lined his thin brow.

"Suuuhh-neee," he breathed. It was better, but with a whispering hiss. Mayu beamed.

"Alright then, Sunny. I'm going to teach you all I can. And when you are ready, we can head back to civilization…where we belong." She lifted her head as a pleasant breeze ruffled her gray hair. Sunny too lifted his head from his hands and gazed off at the rustling leaves that sang high in the treetops.

Finally, she wasn't alone anymore.

---------------

Sunny was turning out to be the most extraordinary thing- there was so much about him that was different from the regular child that she decided to document them in order to keep her mind from overloading.

Sunny lacked characteristics that would peg him as a child, and yet, on some occasions, she was reminded that he was. As was already evident, Sunny seemed to love jewelry. In the beginning, she had cleaned and sanded down all his wooden trinkets, one was actually the skull of a small bat, and had thought he would be touchy about her handling his possessions. But when he noticed she was cleaning them, he actually seemed pleased, and this had made her very happy. Though he did not smile, his features seemed to soften, and had sat at the table and waited patiently for her to finish. She had even made a beaded red necklace for him that he had quickly added to the others.

Teaching him Japanese was hard-she was not a teacher- but Sunny was a quick learner with good memory. He never forgot the words and their meanings, but had a hard time with pronunciation. Most of his words sounded warped and cryptic, but once she had gotten past the eerie sounds, she could understand his half-sentences. Sunny's favorite words, however, was 'Good Afternoon.' He said it every morning-at the wrong time of day- with a strange luring quality that gave her chills. It was the only two words he could say without the demonic noises behind them. It was also the only time he smiled- but it was really a leer, showing off cruel sharp teeth.

His teeth. Another thing to back up the calculating looks. His teeth were small, like the young child he was, but they were all sharp. When teaching him to brush his teeth, something that curiously seemed to excite him- something about the peppermint taste- she found that he had very few chewing teeth. Only the very back were for chewing, and even they were kind of sharp. He had a predators mouth, one for tearing and rending. That theory was made more solid by the fact that he never ate the food she provided, and yet, he seemed to gain more healthy weight so his ribs did not show so much. He must be hunting at night while she was sleeping.

Sleeping. There was another thing that seemed disturbing. Sunny did not sleep.

At first she figured he only slept for a few hours in the wee hours in the morning, but upon challenging herself to prove this theory, she managed to keep Sunny inside by introducing him to her radio, and had stayed up watching him listen to the music. He had sat by the radio all night, blue eyes vacant, face distant. At first she had thought he slept with his eyes open, but occasionally they would shift, or he would blink. She didn't think it was possible for someone to become so inanimate- especially a young boy. Every once in a while he would lay or slump around for a few hours, eyes heavy-lidded, and for once, he would seem tired. When she would try to goad him into doing something, he would only give her a look of sluggish annoyance.

But the thing that really blew her mind was the fact that Sunny only used the bathroom for bathing and brushing his teeth. He never used the toilet. At first she figured he wasn't potty trained and didn't know how to use it, but when she began to go through the steps of showing him how, he had given her the nastiest look she had ever seen. Like she was some dirty whore. She'd left it alone until they could communicate better, and when she asked him why he didn't use the toilet, he had given a clipped reply that he did not create waste like some animal. Was that possible? 

Was Sunny human? If not, what was he?

Sometimes, she was sure he was human, especially when it rained. She'd been aware for some time that there was something that was making him depressed, some tragedy that caused occasional looks of despair to cloud his eyes. Sunny always cried, always wept on those days, when it thundered and rained. It was the only time he showed violence, violence toward himself, beating his head with his fists, biting his hands with his sharp teeth.

Her consolation was little help; it was obvious that he was not used to being held. He had once pushed her away, and the sheer force and power in that one action had left her wary for days. She always looked for the self-inflicted wounds that she was sure would be there, but his hands were always smooth.

There were times when it was all worth it of course. She wasn't lonely any longer, something that had plagued her after her husband had died. And she was always happy when Sunny talked to her. He did not speak often; Sunny was often in his own world, but when he did, it was always rewarding. She had once been beading feathers into his hair when she asked him why he kept trying to chew the toothpaste. She had not expected a reply, and was startled when she received one.

"Payapermint."

"What?" she asked, peering at his face in surprise.

"I chew payapermint."

Mayu laughed and kissed his forehead.

"What that?"

Mayu smiled, her eyes softening. "Um, well, it's called a kiss. It's to show affection, or-er- to show you like someone."

Sunny sent her a thoughtful look before moving off. Days later she had gathered enough peppermint to last a week and then produced them to a very surprised youth. Sunny now constantly chewed peppermint, smelling minty at all times.

Having Sunny in her life made it worth living, watching him, worrying over where he was…or what he was eating. She knew he was becoming comfortable with the life she had provided for him, and worried- what would happen when it was all gone.

She knew her time was short.

**TBC**

**The reason why I tend to emphasize how 'beautiful' Sunny/Naruto is, is not to make any insinuations as to where this fic is to go or anything like that. The reason for his beauty is that Sunny/Naruto is mostly demon, and is a predator. He is made to attract prey- (humans) and humans are vulnerable to this since we are naturally attracted to things that are beautiful. He becomes more alluring when using the _Lure_- which you _will _see more of.**

**Pairings- This is unlikely due to Sunny/Naruto's nature towards humans. They are FOOD to him, and getting romantically involved would be like trying to romance the chicken you might eat if a famine happens. However friendship can happen.**

**Mayu doesn't know that Sunny eats humans**

**Sunny/Naruto's rather frosty disposition is due to depression, grief, and guilt. Perhaps after some time his bright personality will return.**


	9. Reminder of Rage

Sorry! This was supposed to be posted three days ago but I forgot to bring the disk to the library! I was mad for fifteen seconds. Then I got over it.

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion

**Dancing with Demons**

_**Warning: This chapter may have some moments that may make some uncomfortable**_

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**Reminder of Rage**_

The first time Sunny asked about shinobi was the day they came crashing through their haven. Mayu had been in the garden, rummaging around in the plants while Sunny sat in the living room, perched on the window sill and gazing at nothing. She couldn't fathom how he did that- or why he was so inactive; most boys his age spent half their time bouncing off walls. And yet, when he was in her presence, he did nothing but sit, though she was sure he was more active when he wasn't near her.

It had been a full year since the boy had joined her, a year to become acquainted with one another, to become utterly attached… Mayu wiped her brow and stretched her aching back. It seemed as if more pain was felt these days, her breath always seemed short. She glanced at Sunny, smiling wearily as she watched him chew methodically on his cultivated peppermint. He seemed so sweet, with such beautiful features, but she remembered the first time she had seen him eat.

He had been approaching the house after spending the night out in the forest. She had chafed her hands in worry, wondering where he was, or if he was coming back. That gave her the most worry, because it was obvious that Sunny was not as dependent on her as she was on him. But that morning, Sunny appeared into the clearing with a spring in his step she had never seen before. She had risen from the rocking chair, all set to give him a hug, when she noticed his lips were smeared crimson, a flash of red in his eyes. She froze at the red lump in his bloodied hand. He had grinned at her, sharp teeth coated in blood and took a steady bite of the mysterious lump. She had swallowed and tried not to throw up- but she was an old woman and very little of her body functions did what she wanted. Mayu had vomited, Sunny had looked disgusted ( a facial expression she saw often) and had wandered off.

She knew that Sunny was consuming some kind of food, and she suspected it to be meat, and yet somehow she foolishly imagined he would cook it over a fire. She felt embarrassed now, for making the assumption, especially since all signs pointed to how feral Sunny actually was. But Sunny had returned later, and she had given him a pair of earrings to appease him.

Mayu blushed and as she bent to tend to the barley, she completely missed the intense look that passed over the passive face, and how the blue eyes bled to red. There was a rustling in the trees and something shiny flew from one side of the clearing to the other, lodging itself into one of the trees with a solid thunk that shook the leaves.

Mayu straightened, eyes going wide in recognition of the weapon. Moments later a human blur followed the weapon, disappeared into the leaves, and was quickly followed by two others, causing Mayu to drop her basket and head quickly for the porch. She had seen very few shinobi in her lifetime; no one in her family had ever taken up the profession, but she had always been wary of people who were trained to kill as children.

Mayu passed through the screen door and gazed in nervous silence, waiting to see if any more shinobi were going to pass through. She hoped they didn't decide to fight in the clearing where her house was in danger of damage.

A hissing and reverberating groan that rumbled her very bones turned her toward Sunny, and her mouth went dry. Sunny's vacant expression was now replaced with a rage she had never seen on his face before. His once beautiful blue eyes were bloodshot- such a violent crimson, his teeth were bared, seeming sharper and more sinister. His fingers clenched and unclenched as he glared in fury at the clearing.

"Sunny?" she whispered, and that searing gaze fell on her, causing Mayu to back up and swallow harshly. The hate that burned clearly in his eyes was now focused on her. A hiss of air passed through his teeth as he took a fluid step toward her. His teeth parted and a screech split the crackling air. Mayu gasped and shut her eyes as Sunny leapt toward her. There was a gust of wind, a whiff of peppermint, and the bang of the screen door. Mayu's eyes opened as she saw the last of Sunny's feet vanish at the top of the door. Mayu spun towards the window and saw a golden blur leap into the trees.

The clearing adopted the silence of a graveyard. Mayu wiped the sweat from her brow with a shaky hand and slumped into a nearby chair. She had never seen Sunny so angry before- never seen him give her such a look, like if she had made one wrong move he would have torn her heart out. Mayu moaned. She really couldn't take any more of this excitement.

_I hope Sunny comes back._

----------------

He was mad…very mad. Seeing those filthy humans come charging through _his _dwelling, _his_ territory…

Sunny kicked a tree viciously and then dodged out of the way as it toppled to the ground, remembering his last encounter with falling trees. He dug his fingers into the healthy bark and screamed his fury to the forest, his cries causing the birds to burst in flight. Sunny's head snapped up, his eyes darting at the birds as they escaped the trees, the thump of their wings beating reaching his ears. He watched as the last bird disappeared from view before he slumped down on the fallen tree, and dug into his pouch for peppermint. The scent of foreign human still hung in his nostrils; he could taste the acrid fear of the first human that was being chased by the others. He could still feel their blood lust as they had chased the other.

Sunny rocked and chewed, red eyes vacant with thought, ears twitching at the sounds of the crickets in the distance. The sounds of animals always tended to be in the distance, because they always evacuated the area when he came around. Perhaps the human woman Mayu had not noticed the absence of animals near her dwelling. They had come, even with the smell of death permeating the area, but upon his arrival they had all fled. Only a few of the stubborn animals would remain, and they were always the first to be eaten.

Sunny's mind returned to the humans with the _source_, and he flinched. What made him so angry was that he had felt fear before the initial rage at their approach. For a few moments, he had believed that it was the ones that had killed his pack, coming to search for him and kill him with their superior use of the _source_. But they had not smelled of _them_, for he had their scent, the taste of one's blood, packed away in his mind.

Sunny knew he was superior to the human race, it was obvious in every way, shape, and form. It was so obvious, that his defeat was an embarrassment to all that is demon. Surely others of his kind would be ashamed of him, disgusted at his poor performance. Sunny growled and scratched his head roughly in frustration. It was obvious that revenge was in order, slow, painful, drawn out revenge, with as much screaming as possible. Sunny's eyes began to glow, the iris's expanding so that the white's were drowned out. His ears began to elongate, turning red and black at the tips as he began to salivate and drool at the mouth, teeth growing longer, sharper. His breath was short, but deep, his fingernails growing longer. His eyes were focused on a distant corner, but his mind was full of blood, the succulent screams of human pain, their cries for mercy…

He was going to eat them alive, and make them watch every moment of it.

The rage left, though, along with its physical effects as reality returned to him. It was undeniable, that the humans could use the _source _in ways he could not imagine, and they would make a fool of him until he knew how it was done. But how to learn… Sunny began to rock again, pondering at the problem.

It was many hours later, and blush of embarrassment, when the solution came to him. Sunny jumped to his feet and hopped back to the dwelling. Upon entering the clearing, Sunny pulled the sharp weapon from the tree and headed for the cottage. Inside he could feel Mayu's anxious heart flutter; she was so easy to rattle.

Opening the screen door, Sunny approached the old human female and leered, enjoying the look and scent of terror wafting off of her. Then he mentally smacked himself. _Be nice to the human Sunny. She's done you much good. _The human pulled herself to her feet and slowly approached him, a weak smile gracing her wrinkled features.

"Sunny! You're back. I was so worried, and you were so upset…" her eyes kept traveling to his eyes, then at the sharp weapon in his grip. He then remembered that he hadn't changed his eyes to blue again, and that they had remained at his natural color. He did not care to change it back, he figured she could handle the change.

Sunny lifted the weapon so that she could see it more clearly.

"Wad dis?"

His Japanese, as she called it, (apparently humans had different ways of speaking depending on the region) was pitiful. He found that only when he thought out each word first, that he actually sounded similar to her. But long pauses during a conversation were awkward, and Mayu often thought that he had lost interest in speaking to her, which was only half true. The human tongue was easy to remember, but hard to pronunciate, and he found that he preferred not to speak it at all. But it was now necessary, and he was pleased that he had taken the time to learn it.

Mayu eyed the weapon nervously before seeming to relax, the fear leaving her scent.

"I think it's called a kunai. I'm not positively sure; I don't know much about ninja."

Sunny's eyes narrowed as he computed her words and their meanings. He clicked in thought and began to gather some words to produce a proper sentence.

"What…is a 'neeennjaa'?"

Mayu sat down in her seat again and rubbed her forehead, her brow crinkling in thought.

"Well, from what I know, Ninja, or Shinobi, are warriors. They live in hidden villages and go on missions of all types," she frowned, obviously racking her brain for information. "and protect their villages..." Her eyes fell on him again, and she shrugged. "I really don't know much about them. No one in my family ever entered that career."

Sunny had his head bowed so his chin was touching his bare chest, ears pricked and listening to her words while his mind feverishly worked in translating her them. If none of her kin entered the _career_, it must mean that if they _wanted_ to, they could have. That must mean that anyone could be this 'ninja', and that what he needed was to find these 'hidden villages'.

He took a deep breath and waited for the words to form in his head, the things he needed to say in the human tongue that he wanted her to understand completely. He wasn't keen on giving her anymore information about himself, and yet, even though she was nothing more than a pitiful human, she had given much to him without asking for anything in return. He could respect that, despite her species.

"Dese…These…niinja…have killed my kin…my pack. I must," she watched as his eyes darted here and there, searching for words that he needed her to hear. "I must avenge what was mine. Must find d-these niinja."

He looked up to her brown eyes clouded with tears, and resisted the urge to roll his eyes and gloat at the same time. These were over taken by the urge to scowl when she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, muttering pointless reassurances in his ear, something that made him want to howl. She had no idea how well he could hear. When she finally let him go, and got her emotions under control, a sadness came into her eyes.

"Alright love. Tomorrow we'll head to the village and find out what we can about a hidden village, and maybe we can get you enrolled into an Academy okay?"

Sunny nodded and jumped to his feet, heading toward the small hard box Mayu called a radio, and turned it on. He liked music, one of the only things he admired about humans…besides the way they tasted. Any and all demons of refined tastes would agree that human was the best tasting meat, and if one disagreed, it was simply because they had never tasted one before. The human blood was richer, full of zest and life, and the meat was just between strong and soft. Offspring were the sweetest, adult males were the spiciest, and the females were stuck right in the middle. Females were the hardest to _Lure_, especially when they were with offspring, for they tended to be more wary, protective, and often enough, down right psychotic when it came to protecting their young. Younglings and adult males were the easiest, because for some reason, they tended to be most curious, and adult males seemed so sure of their existence, that danger was often the last thing on their puny brains.

Sunny began to rock back and forth. All these thoughts about human flesh was making him yearn for the taste of their blood on his lips. His eyes darted to the human female occupying the room; she was wiping down surfaces, still looking as if someone had died. Sunny grimaced. If he had eaten her, she would unlikely settle nastily inside him, and then there would be the guilt, and no doubt, she would taste bad to begin with.

Sunny shut his eyes and enjoyed the sound of the music, and vaguely realized that _resting_ was coming in a few hours- he must have been so agitated that he hadn't noticed. He wondered how many centuries he would have to live before he could throw off _resting_ like Krik and Tkaa could. A lump appeared in his throat and he immediately surged to his feet, ignoring Mayu's inquiries and left the dwelling.

He'd _rest_ in the forest like he used to. And tomorrow, the road to revenge would begin.

-----------

He was aware of her distress, but he couldn't move from his bedding in the canopy. He could hear her muffled cries and the sound of her old heart pounding like a rabbit, quick…flighty. But he could not move- _resting_ wasn't finished yet and his mind wasn't allowing him to feel the urge to come to her rescue. Sunny lay in the tree, mind sluggish and weak, his most vulnerable time. But he could sniff, and he took deep breaths through his nose trying to catch the scent of blood in the air. Perhaps she had fallen- apparently Mayu was afraid of that, 'brittle bones' she had said. If that was so, she would have to wait for him, though he couldn't imagine what he would do if that were the case- he was no healer.

He'd eaten a healer once, Spayt had told him of a time when he was _changing_, and they hadn't known that was happening. They had gotten a human female to look after him until he was well, and then she had accidentally fallen and killed herself. He had laughed at the time, it was an amusing story, but now it didn't seem that funny. Humans die when they fall.

But why should he care about some stupid human? Sunny's body twitched. But then, Mayu wasn't just _any _human. She was _his_ human. She was part of his new pack, and she was in pain. Sunny's head lifted from the leaves. A sound reached his ears, completely slurred, but sounding eerily like his name. Mayu was calling him, and she didn't sound too good.

The _source_ surged through his body, and to his own shock, he jumped to his feet. Sunny stood there for a moment, complete disbelief shrouding him, for he had shook off _resting,_ but tossed it aside for later examination as he leaped from the tree to the next, heading for the dwelling. With a rather powerful jump, using some of the _source_ to propel him farther, he cleared the clearing and landed with barely a sound on the porch, then charged into the room, senses on full alert as his red eyes took in the scene.

Mayu was in her night gown sprawled on the kitchen floor, face down, legs splayed. Sunny sniffed the air for intruders, but could smell none. His ears twitched as he rushed to the human female's side and turned her over, scanning her body for wounds. But he could see none.

Then he looked at her face and jerked his head back in shock. The right side of Mayu's face seemed slightly twisted, yet slack, while the other was clearly etched in misery, her brown eyes swollen with despair, tears streaking down her face.

"Wud 'appen?" Sunny asked incredulously, staring in a horrified fascination as the left side of her mouth began to move while the right remained slackened and…dead. A gurgle passed her lips, but the only thing he could understand at the moment was his name.

Sunny growled and stood to his feet, grabbing her arm and pulling her up, perhaps in a hope that she would gain her bearings and return to her feet. But her body lay slack and she gave a small cry of pain as he wrenched her arm. Sunny dropped her back on the floor in frustration and stamped his foot in anger.

"Wud's madder wi' you?!" he hissed angrily, and knew that most of his human speech was deteriorating and he was returning to his native tongue. This seemed to distress Mayu more and she began to weep openly, small animal-like sounds coming from her mouth. Sunny kicked a chair violently, and watched as it soared across the room and shattered against the far wall, her wails increasing in volume at his display of violence. He clawed angrily at the couch, tearing into the fabric with ease.

"SHUT UP!!" Sunny screamed, aware that he had abandoned the human tongue all together. The sound of his natural voice was now pulling her into hysterics. "STOP CRYING!! WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?! _GET UP_!" Sunny viscously grabbed her arm and yanked it, causing a scream of pain to erupt through her throat. Sunny dropped the arm and ran from the cottage to the other side of the clearing, where her cries did not hurt his ears so much. He sat down under a tree and covered his ears, waiting for her to shut up. He grit his teeth. If this were any other human, he would have torn out its throat long ago. But he couldn't, because this was Mayu, and…and…he was fond of her.

There. He had admitted it. He was fond of a human. Oh the others must be turning in their graves. Or he hoped they had graves.

An hour later, he cautiously removed his hands from his ears, and was relieved to hear that the woman had stopped crying. But she was now calling out to him, sounding so pathetic, like a newborn calling for its mother. Sunny slowly got to his feet and walked up to the porch, and entered the house. He could almost feel her relief when she heard the bang of the screen door. Sunny entered the living room and saw that she was exactly where he had left her, and that she had soiled herself, judging by the stench. Sunny kept the grimace of disgust from his face as he moved to her side.

Her face was swollen from crying, but the right side was still slack, the skin seeming stuck, and the eyelid hanging over the eye. Her good eye focused on him and it brimmed with tears, and for a moment he thought she was going to start crying all over again, but instead she managed a half smile with the remaining side of her face. The arm that he had yanked lifted and settled in his hair.

"Sssoorry, Sunny. Can't take you to the 'illage…" her words were slurred and wet, and it seemed hard for her to form a sentence. Sunny ground his teeth together.

"Wud da madder wi' you?" Then he controlled his speech. "Why won't you get up?"

A tear escaped her eye, but she still smiled.

"Smile 'or me Sunny? Just once?"

Sunny blinked and sat back on his heels as her hand dropped from his hair and to the floor. He knew a last request when he heard one, and his heart sank. She was leaving him, just like the pack had. Was this his fault too? Had he done something to bring this strange…ailment upon her? She _had_ been sad when he had mentioned the ninja but…

Sunny looked into her face. Well, if she wanted a smile, hell, he'd give her one and more. Changing his eyes to the bluest color he could imagine, he beamed softly at her, imaging that she was Spayt or Tkaa. He opened his mouth and began to sing the _Lure_, something she had never heard, but made it the softest he could. He stroked her gray hair as her eye widened, focused on his face, her hand lifted again and she stroked his cheek.

"Like an angel..." she whispered, and Sunny placed both hands on the sides of her face, smiling and singing as he quickly twisted her head, breaking her neck with a quick, painless snap. He watched as the light faded from her eye, as her body became still. He held her head as he allowed his words to fade, having wanted his singing to be the last thing she heard. He then rocked back on his heels and wondered. Now what?

Which way to a hidden village? Did he know? Who did he ask?

Sunny scratched his head and looked away from the body. Mustn't look at it. Mustn't acknowledge what it had been. He wrapped his arms around his knees and rocked back and forth. Mayu must have known who to ask, what questions to ask. She had said they would got to the village and ask about a hidden village, but which way was the village, what human would he ask? Mayu had known. Mayu had gone to a village to pick up supplies for herself, or more of the bath soap that he had liked, but he had never gone with her. Sunny's eyes turned to the body. Actually, Mayu would still know. Sunny reached out and touched her head. It was still kind of warm- the brain and its information still useful.

Sunny did not like to eat brains. Brains were mushy, no matter what type of animal it came from, and it was messy, and gleaning information from most brains was pointless. It had never occurred to him to eat the brains of humans, because at the time there was no need to know what they knew. But now he needed some information, and Mayu had it, or…a little of it.

Reaching out, he deftly cracked her skull open and scooped out the brain matter, quickly downing the matter before the taste made him ill. Immediately upon swallowing, images flashed through his mind.

_A small human playing with another._

Flash

_A human woman looking similar to Mayu holding hands with a human male._

_Hisoka..._

Flash 

_Then there was a Mayu bent over a mound of dirt, sobbing miserably._

Flash

_There was the dwelling as he knew it, and a sense of loneliness._

Flash

_And then there was him, and he was staring at himself, or more like her, with an annoyed expression on his face, but something swelled within him-her, something happy and content-_

Sunny screeched and stuck his fingers down his throatforcing the brain matter to leave his system, throwing it up on the wooden floor. He backed away from the body and groaned. He knew that emotion she had felt, understood it, and it distressed him, because he knew that he did not deserve it. Sunny left the dwelling and stood at the bottom of the porch, gazing at the house. He had not been a good demon, as a matter of fact, he had done poorly, but he would make it up. He would avenge the pack, and he had at least given Mayu something to smile about. She had seen him as some kind of savior, from what he did not know, because he could not save anything.

Sunny gurgled as he forced bile from his stomach and vomited onto the wooden porch, and it immediately caught flame. He watched as the flame burned, then slowly begin to spread along the porch. He couldn't bare the thought of some human coming along and inhabiting the place, her place…_his_ place…

An hour later, the cabin burned, his red eyes glowed. He had things to do now, a purpose, a reason for being. And they would pay. He would find a hidden village, and all ninja with the _source_ will burn. And he would enjoy it, learning their secrets, fooling them into feeling safe. And he would be much more careful this time- with his emotions. He didn't need another Mayu to come along. No, not again.

He then turned his back on the inferno, the light seeming to make him glow like a golden apparition and gave a wan smile.

Goodbye Mayu… TBC 

**If you were wondering, Mayu suffered from a stroke, and of course, knowing nothing about humans, Sunny/Naruto threw a tantrum from frustration and helplessness. The stroke damaged the right side of her face, paralyzing nerves. There was no way he would be able to take care of her.**

**Sorry this took long to update- I just wasn't in the mood to type. Also, sorry the ending was rushed, but if I wanted to get it out today, I had to finish now. Sunny/Naruto can get info from eating brains, but it was never a technique that was needed.**

**Sunny/Naruto is around eleven and a half now, being ten and a half when he was with the pack, and then spent a year with Mayu.**

**_THERE WILL BE NO WAVE COUNTRY RENDITION. HE WILL MEET TEAM SEVEN DIRECTLY AFTER THE ORDEAL, MAINLY BECAUSE I'M SO TIRED OF READING THE EVENTS OF WAVE COUNTRY, AND WILL NOT TORMENT MYSELF BY WRITING IT!_**


	10. Return To Fire Country

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion

**Warning: More cannibalism, I guess.**

**Chapter Nine**

_**Return to Fire Country**_

The discrepancies made him nervous, as he hovered near the outskirts of the forest, hidden by the remaining copse of trees. In the distance he could hear the faint buzz of humans, and though his eyesight was exemplary, he could not see them. All he could see was the yellow and green grass that lay like an ocean, touching the horizon. From left to right, there was nothing but a sea of grass, and Sunny felt anxiety come rushing to the fore. No trees, no large jutting rocks- just grass and the sky. No place to hide…an easy target for any and all…

Sunny had never lived under the sky; the pack had reared him amongst the great trees, coddled in their loving branches, and Sunny shrank back into their embrace. With no trees, the world seemed larger-infinite- he shut his eyes against the blaring sun. He felt like such a coward, afraid to step out into the open. What would the others say?

With that thought, Sunny squared his shoulders, lifted his chin, and leaped out into the grass that brushed softly at his knees. His eyes darted, taking in all directions at once- waiting for some type of attack, but only the distant cry of a bird assaulted his ears.

Sunny blushed and allowed some of the tension to flow out of him. Who was he kidding? No human or other demon could sneak up on him, and _resting_ was a solid week away- he could bury himself when the time came. Sunny began to walk purposefully toward the distant sounds of human. The feeling of the wind blowing through his hair brought Sunny's face skyward, and he gazed silently at the white puffy clouds that drifted lazily across the cerulean sky. It was startlingly peaceful out here, the only sounds accompanying him was the crunch and rustle of his movements and the occasional bird call. He could either get to like it very much or hate it pretty quickly, which- he didn't know.

Sunny walked on at a measured and rather leisurely pace, snared a passing hare as a quick meal, and continued on until the village came within his sight, and he faced another dilemma. He had never been among other humans unless he was eating them, wasn't aware of the social norms of human society, or…the smell they created when they congregated together in one place.

Sunny groaned and covered his nose. The variety of smells had assaulted his senses, causing his eyes to water and his nose to prickle. "Filthy creatures…" he hissed in his native tongue and glared at the mud and wooden dwellings. He could hear the hustle and bustle of everyday human life, and regretted not taking Mayu's offers to join her on her monthly trips down here. At least he would know what to expect. Sunny dropped down on his bottom and contemplated his next move. Go through the village or around it, perhaps missing his chance to learn of a 'hidden village'.

Sunny jumped to his feet again and stalked toward the village. He had to stop thinking too deeply, or second guessing his decisions, it was annoyance and a waste of his time. Ten minutes later, he found himself standing at a corner, watching humans move around their puzzling and pointless lives. It was strange, their business, how they moved with such purpose, many faces intent upon some obscure destination. They were always moving, even when they were standing in one place. Mouths jabbered, hands waved, and faces twisted between one moment and the next. He watched as one human female shouted angrily at a male, arms waving and occasionally whacking him on the shoulders; he would wince and cower under her fury, though he was larger and most definitely stronger. Sunny cocked his ear toward her, in an attempt to pick up her words, but they were too quick for him to process, and he gave up with a side-long glance at the scene. He then rocked on his feet, wondering who he should ask about ninja. As a man passed, Sunny reached out and grabbed his sleeve. The man jumped in surprise and frowned down at him.

"What is it boy?" the man asked gruffly, eyes running over the strangely jeweled boy; Sunny suppressed the urge to ram his fingers into the human's eye sockets.

"I'm looking for some ninja. Uh…a 'hidden village'. Tell me where it is?"

The man eyed him and snickered. "You lookin' to be a ninja? You're a little too pretty for that. Perhaps-"

Yes, he wanted to kill this human, and couldn't help the killing intent that passed through his eyes. The man swallowed then pointed back the way he had come.

"There's the Hidden Village of Grass about twenty miles west from here. You're going the wrong way." He tried to tug his arm away but found that Sunny's grip was like iron.

Sunny nodded and released the man, sneering as he watched him stumble away, throwing looks of fear over his shoulder. Sunny then gazed into the west, frowning in thought. So he had been going the wrong way the whole time. He sighed and kneeled down on his heels, pulling out some leaves and munching idly away, pondering what to do. It was obvious that he would have to go back the way he had come to find this Hidden Village of Grass, but just the name made he grimace. How could a village be hidden in grass? Was the grass as high as trees? Wouldn't that make it rather conspicuous either way?

Sunny heaved another sigh and returned to standing, and followed the man in the direction he was sure he had gone. Younglings ran across his path, giggling- then stopping to stare in awe at the youth. Sunny leered at them, and watched as they scampered away, squealing in delight. He kicked a pebble and wandered down the path, going east but not really deciding where to go. Some of the smells offended him, while others pricked his interest. He gazed at the strange stalls that held the disturbingly burned meats. He hadn't understood why Mayu had put almost all of her food under fire, burning out the juices in her meat every time- one of the reasons he never ate her food…

Sunny left the village feeling unsatisfied and agitated. When he was within a mile of the village, a familiar and rather recent scent came his way. It was the human that had given him directions. Sunny smiled. The man was humming to himself, a pack strapped to his back. Sunny clicked in excitement, feeling hunger lace through his body. Feeling something behind him, the man turned and staggered in alarm.

"What are you doing here boy ?! Are you following me?" he asked nervously, backing away from the youth, eyes searching feverishly for a witness.

""Hungry," Sunny replied and took another step toward the man.

"I-I don't have food!" the man gasped, not completely understanding why the child frightened him so.

"You _are_ food," the boy hissed and Sunny leaped forward and drove his fingers into the mans' eyes and into his brain. The human dropped like a rag-doll, the scent of his blood coming like a salty fragrance. Sunny bent down and punched through his chest, crashing through his ribs and gripping the warm heart, tearing it from the chest cavity. As he feasted on the human, he sat down and crossed his legs to get more comfortable. When he finished the heart, he began to move onto a leg. He was hoping to rebuild his reserves, pack up enough energy in case he had another moment like the time after-

He felt the demon approaching to his right, and immediately his senses ran over the demon. In moments he could see a small blue light, the size of his hands float from between the grass, to hover near him. Sunny remained sitting, eyeing the demon, trying to sense whether it was hostile or not. Though the pack had been the only demons he had ever seen, he was aware that unlike humans, demons come in every shape and size, some with no physical form while others were like the earth itself. At least, that was what Tkaa had told him.

The blue light flickered, then flashed bright, causing Sunny to blink rapidly. When sight returned, he stared in amazement at the large blue wolf that stood regally at his side; black eyes trained on him spoke of age and wisdom.

/What is a forest dweller doing out here so near the humans?/

Sunny raised eyebrows and held out the leg that he was holding in an offering. He could tell that this demon was old- older than Krik, who was seven centuries before he had died. His voice that echoed in Sunny's mind was soft with wisdom and patience.

The demon glanced down at the body then at him.

/How unwise of you to slaughter a human so near its own dwelling./ His gaze lifted in the direction of the village. /But then, it has been so long since I have tasted the flesh of humans./ He took a step toward the limb and took it in his powerful jaws, crunching the bones, savoring the meat. /So sweet…/

Together they dined in silence, Sunny surprised when the demon wolf devoured the intestines and other less savory organs. He only ever ate arms, legs, heart, and for extra blood, the liver. Intestines, kidneys, and other organs were more of an acquired taste, especially with humans; they eat so much crap…

When the meal was finished, the demon turned to him.

/So what brings a young forest-dweller out here on the wide open plains?/

Sunny shrugged and licked his fingers, aware that his face was smeared with blood. As if hearing his thoughts, the demon leaned forward and began to lick his face. Sunny endured, images of Krik licking him flashing through his head, or Mayu wiping his face with a wet cloth when he returned from a good meal. When the wolf was done with his face, he moved onto his hands.

"Some humans called _ninja_ killed my pack with their _source_."

The demon wolf moved away, stretching the muscles in his neck, ripples flowing through his muscles. /Ah yes. The _source- _also known as chakra. I know of humans and their _source_…/

Sunny nodded. "I'm going to learn how to use it like they do. Then I'm going to destroy them all. But first I must find one of their 'Hidden Villages.'"

The demon wolf's indigo fur rustled in the wind as the coal like eyes gazed at him.

/You know, only the Great Ones wielded the _source_. It was said that at one time, we ruled these lands. The Great Ones, our Masters, they were almost unbeatable, with infinite power, grace, and fury. The humans were no match for such perfection. And yet, not too long ago a Hidden Village defeated one of our greatest Masters, our only Nine Tailed Fox Demon./ A wistful look passed over his furred face. /Ah…just to be in his presence. So much power…/ the demon looked down at him. /Anyway, if you are looking to learn from some powerful ninja, it is best to got to Fire Country and find its 'hidden village.' I'm sure if they could wield the _source_ better than a Master, then they must be the best ninja the humans have to offer./

Sunny nodded, eyes wide as the demon turned and began to fade into the grass.

"Hey wait!" Sunny stood up and stared in chagrin as the demon wolf burst into the small blue flame and disappeared into the grass.

/Just keep going east-I'm sure you'll know when you hit Fire Country. I look forward to what you shall bring to demon-kind. Good luck…forest-dweller./

Sunny scratched his head and shrugged before continuing east toward this Fire Country.

--------------------------

Hatake Kakashi turned the page and grimaced to see that it was blank and that he had finished the book with a week left before arriving in Konoha. The world is cruel. He sighed and lowered the book, glancing at his team as they silently walked the deserted path back home. They were considerably more relaxed after they had entered familiar territory, especially after the ordeal that had taken place a week before.

The events of Wave Country had changed Team Seven with various results, with a few more pros than cons. They had grown closer as a team, though Sasuke remained as stoic as he possibly could without showing the great effort he was putting into it. On the other hand, Kakashi could rightfully predict that as soon as they returned to Konoha, Sasuke would throw himself into rigorous training, judging by how much brooding he was currently doing. At the moment he had his hands stuffed in his pockets with his eyes focused on the dirt path, probably wondering what he had to do to get to the level as the Haku child had been

Slightly behind him was Sakura, who was alternating between staring at the Uchiha and rubbing her hands together forlornly. The events of Wave had shaken her confidence in herself, and perhaps opened some doorways to self evaluation, judging by the occasional glances she was sending the boys. She hadn't done much during the battles, but he was beginning to believe that she was merely a late bloomer, and that perhaps she would have some type of epiphany, something that would make her want to be a better kunoichi, at least.

Then there was Natsu, who seemed unchanged by any of the events, which wasn't really shocking. He was starting to believe that the boy was imperturbable. Natsu, like Sakura, came from a small family of non-shinobi, and it was actually a wonder as to why he had even chosen the profession when no one in his family looked upon it with favor. But he was also one of the better students; decent charka control, a willingness to learn, and a friendly easy going attitude. Though he didn't like to play favorites, Natsu was his most enjoyable student.

Kakashi chuckled as he remembered Sasuke's frustration when the Uchiha had learned that his new teammate had very little in the competitive nature. He had tried to spark some kind of rivalry with the boy, but Natsu had ignored his attempts, or hadn't noticed them. The dirty blond had eventually gained the respect of both his teammates and had shown perseverance during the previous battles. Though Sakura had shed many tears over the demise of Momochi Zabuza and his student Haku, Natsu seemed only slightly sad but mostly accepting.

"Hey Sakura-chan! When we get back, we should celebrate our first B-Rank mission and go out to eat."

Sakura brightened and sent some glances Sasuke's way.

"Yeah! That would be a great idea. Er- do you want to come Sasuke-kun?"

Natsu turned warm brown eyes on his dark haired teammate. "Yes Sasuke. Why don't you join us? It's been a while since we had a decent meal. Not saying Tsunami didn't know how to cook a meal, but I'm hoping for something that isn't fish oriented when we get back."

Sasuke glanced back at them and gave an 'Hn' as a reply, causing Kakashi to drift into the conversation. "Actually that sounds like a good idea. Maybe we can go over new training techniques while we dine."

If Sasuke had the ears of a dog, they would have perked right up at the words 'training techniques.' He shrugged and muttered an 'I guess so' that had Sakura beaming and Natsu chuckling in amusement.

Kakashi flipped the book to the beginning and prepared to experience the 'story' all over again when he felt a spike of chakra in the distance, one that made his spine stiffen and his head to snap up in alarm, eyes darting here and there. Natsu and Sakura were talking pleasantly, Sasuke was staring at the dirt, and he let his senses run. But the spike had gone as quickly as it had come, and yet, it left him feeling quite clammy. He moved closer to his team, and was aware that Sasuke was now eyeing him, then the surrounding forest.

Good. That was two sets of eyes watching out for whatever was coming. And he knew, something was coming.

-----------------

He wasn't sure at the time what the demon had meant when it had said that he would know when he hit Fire Country, but it was like there had been a simple line drawn in the dirt and the moment he stepped over it, he knew.

He was in Fire Country.

It first hit him like a warm wind that seeped through his veins and caused the blood to rush to his head. His knees began to tremble and his legs buckled beneath him, dropping him to the dirt. In the next moment, he was sobbing, fingers digging into the dirt, tears of laughter streaming down his face. The smell of the earth, the taste of the air, and the feel of the grass…it was all familiar to him. He knew this place- it was like he was home, as if he had been in the wrong place for so long and now had just returned. He was sure he had never been this far-east before, and yet, he knew he was home.

Sunny stopped his bawling and wiped his rosy face in embarrassment. He didn't know why he was crying, why these foreign emotions had suddenly spilled out of him, but he let his head drop back and drink in the warm sun and the familiar air.

This was _his_ place, _his_ lands, and he didn't know why he knew this. He didn't know why he knew that seven hundred and fifty miles from this exact spot there was a deep underground cave that he missed, or that there were miles and miles of forest just beyond his sight.

Sunny took in a deep breath and began to sprint toward the trees, legs rejoicing at the exercise, lungs expanding gratefully. His pace was fast but light, leaving minimal foot prints like the pack had taught him. When the first tree came into sight Sunny pooled the _source_ to his legs to make that extra long leap and landed gracefully into the embrace of the forest. He weaved in and out of the branches, swinging from tree to tree as he had seen the monkeys do in the deepest darkests forests. The birds flew from the trees in terror, and squirrels and other small animals dropped to the forest floor in a mad attempt to escape his presence.

It was one of the reasons they had stayed so far from human dwellings. Fleeing animals always alerted them when a predator was nearby, but when it was such a large mass of animals, it always made humans real edgy. It always amazed him that Mayu never noticed the sudden lack of animals near her home, and he hoped that the humans of this 'hidden village' would be just as stupid.

He felt them in mid-leap, the humans with the _source_, maybe several miles south of him. He landed on a branch and became still, red eyes half open as let his senses search over them. There were four of them, that he knew, and all of them had the _source_, though it varied between the four of them. But one of them had a large amount of it, and he assumed this one must be the leader. They were headed in the same direction as he was, east, and he made a quick decision. It would look better if he arrived with ninja, surely he could charm them into taking him in if he did his absolute best to appear human. His eyes bled to blue, and he ground his teeth together to get them to look as human as possible as he turned south.

Now as his chance.

-------------

Twenty minutes later the omen of bad feelings intensified as Team Seven watched a large mass of birds soar above the trees, twittering and screeching madly as the flew south, several different species going together. Sakura and Natsu 'oohhhed' and 'aahhed' while Kakashi glanced behind them to spot several kinds of foraging animals cross the path in the same mad dash as the birds. Natsu began to call out several species of birds, pointing at them and completely oblivious to the reason of the mass flight.

Then all was silent as Kakashi and Sasuke both drew out their kunai.

"Something's coming," Sasuke muttered, and both teammates jumped in surprise when they realized the meaning of the spectacle. They immediately pulled out shuriken and kunai.

In moments, the only sound that presided in the area was that of the leaves brushing against one another as the wind blew through them.

A figure dropped from a tree and as Sakura screeched, Sasuke threw his kunai at the figure, which quickly moved its head out of the way and watched as it lodged into the tree. Then it turned with blue eyes and a charming smile, the scent of peppermint in the air.

"Good Afternoon."

**TBC **

**Sorry, I didn't mean for this to be a cliff hanger but, I had to stop there because I don't feel too good today. **

**This will be the last time for many chapters that Sunny/Naruto will eat someone, so you won't have to be disgusted for a while.**

**Kazuya Natsu does not have a blood limit and he doesn't take Sunny/Naruto's place as a prankster, dead-last, or a clown. He's a little better than average as a ninja and altogether is a pleasant person, first to befriend Sunny/Naruto.**

**Sunny/Naruto's reunion with Fire Country was clearly the emotions of Kyuubi, which will surface more and more, especially when he hits Konoha.**

**Orochimaru _will_ show up, as well as Gaara and perhaps Itachi- I don't know for sure. And yes, there will be a rivalry between Sunny/Naruto and Sasuke, along with some dominance problems with Kakashi. Poor Kakashi… **

**Umm, a warning to all, this is not about a merging with society and getting in touch with his human side type of story. There may be some merging, but not the way some are imagining.**


	11. Journey to Konoha

Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters does not belong to Daystar Clarion

**INFO AT BOTTOM**

**Chapter Ten**

**Journey to Konoha**

Sandaime had cried when the reports had come, that Uzumaki had been presumed dead. It was something that always left bile in his throat, no one liked to see their kage cry, and even though it wasn't over something people would call 'dire,' it was still a memory better left forgotten. He had only held Naruto once, and it had been a short affair, but Sandaime had become attached in the few months he had custody of the orphan. He had been attempting to find suitable foster parents for the boy, but none of the villagers wanted to take him in, so Sarutobi had kept him in the meantime.

Naruto had grown on him; Konohamaru hadn't been conceived yet, his children had long past ascended into adulthood, and those baby blue eyes and toothless grin had melted the staff's hearts one by one, because, despite what lay within him, Naruto had been an incredibly happy baby. Kakashi had often come in to report missions, to see his Hokage bouncing the blond rhythmically on one knee many times, and it was one of the things that were popular amongst the kunoichi. The tolerant ones that is, the ones that were lucky enough not to lose a lover, husband, child, friend, or family member during the battle with the Nine Tailed Fox Demon. All others would avert their eyes, turn their heads, and remain silent in the presence of the Hokage out of fear and respect. But mostly fear.

And then he had been taken from his crib, and the body of the perpetrator had been found in grisly half-eaten pieces, with no Naruto. And the Sandaime had cried

And yet, here was a child with wild blond hair and the bluest eyes he had ever seen on a human being, with the same faint lines across his cheeks that Naruto had, though these lines were so faint, they were almost pale white lines. The youth looked about twelve, about ten pounds under weight, and had a slightly feral aura about him, perhaps do to the feathers that adorned his locks and the jewelry that hung from his ears, neck, wrists, and ankles.

But Kakashi knew, without a shadow of a doubt, who this child was, and the fear that swelled up in his throat was unwelcome, because that familiar chakra belonged to a creature he was right to fear, and the slight smear near the youth's navel made his suspicions valid. Uzumaki Naruto was alive, and his seal was practically gone.

-------

The reaction was immediate; the boy had said only two words and Sasuke already hated him. Perhaps it was the way he looked, like some kind of ethereal dream out of some fantasy picture book, or maybe it was his strange accent that was so foreign he didn't know where to place it. Everything about him seemed too perfect; the color of his eyes, the perfect gold of his hair. He shown like a beacon, and Sakura's annoying gasps seemed to accentuate it more. The blond took a fluid step forward, leaving the cover of the trees, the blue eyes darting between all of them. There was something strange about that movement, the way his eyes darted, quick and sharp, the kind he had seen on wild animals. Sasuke glanced at Kakashi and took in his masked face. He felt he knew his Sensei enough to read the elusive facial expressions that were hidden behind the mask, and how tensely he stared at the youth, eye laced with disbelief, and strangely, recognition..? He was also gripping his dirty book so hard that the spine was beginning to bend; the dark brown eye remained trained on the youth.

"Hello," the boy greeted again, smiling cheerfully, eyes once again drifting between them before glancing side-ways at Kakashi, a flash of wariness passing over the angelic face.

"H-Hello. I'm Sakura," his team mate stuttered, blushing crimson as she spoke. The youth's eyes darted to her face, and his nostrils flared, as if he was trying to sniff her. Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he took a step forward. The reaction was immediate, the boy's head jerked toward him, eyes intense, nostrils flaring in response. The body then became still, still the way live things couldn't, like he was trying to fade into the scenery, like a piece of furniture.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said in a steady voice, the warning quite clear. Natsu glanced between his team, feeling slightly puzzled. He could feel no killing intent radiating off the stranger, the boy had been polite, and it seemed, he was clearly unsure of what to do now that the always imposing Sasuke seemed intent on frightening him. This was where he came in, to always clean up the social messes Sasuke created on what seemed a daily basis.

"Hi there!" he called cheerfully, breaking through the tense atmosphere. The strange blond seemed to shiver back into existence and turned inquisitive eyes toward him. "I'm Kazuya Natsu of Team Seven, at your service," he pointed at his hitai-ate that sat comfortably above his brow. "I'm a shinobi of Hidden Leaf Konoha. It's a pleasure to meet you! These are my team mates, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke, along with our sensei, Hatake Kakashi. And may I have the pleasure of asking who I might be talking to?"

No one could ever accuse Natsu of not being thorough. The blond stare at him for what seemed like minutes, before the smile returned to his face.

"My name is Sunny. I'm going to the Hidden Village. I'm going the right way?"

"You sure are!" Natsu said with a friendly laugh before turning to their sensei. "Hey, here's an idea, why don't we let him come along with us." He turned to the youth again. "You got family in Konoha?" The question was appropriate- this Sunny didn't sound like he'd come from anywhere near Fire Country.

The youth cocked his head, looking slightly puzzled, before shaking his head. He then turned and gazed up at Kakashi, eyes darting between his face and his hands.

"I suppose it will be alright," Kakashi stated slowly, as if testing his own words. "As long as he behaves himself…"

Natsu gave a chuckle and threw an arm around the stranger. "Don't you worry! You're traveling with a good team. We just got back from a mission- let's tell him about it eh, Sakura-chan?" He began to usher the blond down the road, Sakura trailing along in excitement. Sasuke remained behind, eyes narrow and watchful.

"Who is he, sensei? I know you recognize him." He turned and glanced up at the older man in trepidation.

Kakashi released the damaging grip he had on his book before turning his eye toward his student. "Someone I thought to be long dead. Be very watchful Sasuke." He then began to follow the others, eyes trained once again on his book, but it was blatantly clear, he was watching the newcomer. As Sasuke sped up to follow, he saw the youth turn his head back, and those blue eyes ran over Kakashi again, then fell on him. Though his arm was still tossed over his shoulder, Natsu was too into his story to notice that 'Sunny' or so he had dubbed himself, was paying him no mind. Again it felt like there was something completely alien about the youth, those too bright eyes suddenly seemed like steel. Then the youth looked at Natsu, grinned, and turned his back to Sasuke.

Oh, yes, he would be very watchful of this 'Sunny.'

--------------

He was second guessing his decisions again- not because he thought it had been a bad idea to join up with the shinobi, but because this Sakura-chan female smelled so good. Every time her blood would rush to her face, a whiff of her delectable skin would hit him straight on. It was all he could do took keep from drooling openly, and embarrassing himself. He was lucky that this Natsu seemed completely oblivious of his nature, but he couldn't say the same for the two that trailed behind them. He cared not for the small black haired one that was attempting to intimidate him with his black glares, and he would have laughed in his face- or ripped it off, either one would have suited his desires, if not for the looming presence that walked just behind him. The one called Sensei Kakashi- or was it just Kakashi?- that made him nervous and wary. He was the one that held all the _source_; he was the one that he was sure he hadn't fooled. And he supposed he hadn't fooled this Sasuke, either, but he knew that when it came to decisions and actions, what the leader thought was what was important. He could remember how many times Tsorn had tried to get him in trouble, but could never follow through without Krik's approval. Either he needed this 'Kakashi's' approval, or he needed to exert some dominance over him, though he didn't know how it could be done if their leader knew more of the _source_ than he did.

Sunny turned and stared at Natsu, who was babbling on about some type of wave, and ice mirrors… the words made little sense to him as the boy was talking too fast.

"Hey Sunny, where do you hail from anyway?"

Sunny blinked in startlement. The boy obviously had the habit of changing topics at startling speeds.

"Where do I…hail…from?" he asked staring at the dirty blond. Sakura-chan nodded and spoke for the first time.

"Sorry, what he means is where were you born? Where did you use to live? We notice you have an accent."

Immediately he felt the burning gazes of the two behind him, especially from the leader. This information must be important, and he decided to be a little honest, or as honest as he could be.

"I came from the forest."

Natsu scratched his head, looking confused. "You mean this forest?"

Sunny shook his head. "The forests beyond the grass." He watched as the female blinked a few times then smiled.

"Beyond the grass? Do you mean you come from Earth Country?" then she looked nervous. "You're not a ninja from Hidden Stone are you?"

She. Smelled. Delicious.

"No. I lived in forest." He was becoming agitated. His last meal had been that man- he had been too excited to eat after that, which was about two days ago and here was a perfectly tasty looking human being flaunted in front of his face.

It made a demon angry.

-----------

Natsu was the first to notice the way Sunny's face seemed frozen, and yet it was obvious that he was grinding his teeth, eyes trained on Sakura with what seemed a slightly crazed look. Perhaps his stay in the forest had come to a timely end? Natsu dropped his arm from his shoulder and gave a nervous laugh that hit the ears of Sasuke and Kakashi, who had been listening to the conversation closely. Kakashi immediately felt the killing intent that wafted through the air, and spoke before he could stop himself.

"Naruto-I mean…" he stopped in silent embarrassment as the Team stopped, Natsu casting him a puzzled but thankful look, while Sasuke stared at him in suspicion. Naruto had settled for a wary gaze, though the killing intent had disappeared.

"Who?" Sakura asked, frowning at her sensei. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and smiled behind the mask.

"Oh nothing. Just that Sunny here reminds me of someone I used to know. That's all. My mistake."

"Naruto…" the boy said, blue eyes going distant for a moment before falling on him again. "I know that name somehow…"

"Do you now," Kakashi whispered, staring at the boy. Could it be possible? But then, Naruto had been a little less than nine months when he had been taken, he wouldn't- or more like shouldn't, be able to remember his name. He was positive that this was Uzumaki Naruto now, and was equally determined to bring him before the Hokage. Who had taken care of Naruto all these years- who in the forests of Earth Country?

The group began to walk on again, this time steeped in silence, and Kakashi shuddered at the pure silence that filled the forests on either side of them. The sounds of birds, or life in general, had been leeched from the place, as if all was aware of what was in its presence. He had only heard such silences in the after math of a great battle, when the ground was littered with the dead, and the animals had yet to return. Even Sakura began to become aware of the silence, and her eyes darted at the tree line, shoulders hunched and slowly beginning to walk closer to Natsu, who was staring at the road ahead. Naruto was the only one that seemed unaffected by the silence, most likely because he was the cause of it, Kakashi had no doubt, and he walked on pleasantly, all but gliding on the dirt road, earrings and necklaces jingling against bare skin. The youth was only wearing brown pants that had been rolled up to his knees, probably one of the reasons why Sakura spent so much time blushing when her eyes fell on him.

Natsu's voice broke the ever-increasing void with a force that made them all start.

"So Sunny, what brings you to Konoha anyway, if you don't have any family down here?"

Naruto turned and grimaced, an emotion passing through his eyes that Kakashi could only dub as rage.

"My…family-" he spoke as if the word was foreign to him, "was killed a year ago. I have no where else to go but home…to this place." He then turned to Natsu and gave a blinding smile. "And I want to be a ninja!"

"You kid!" Natsu said in excitement- then hesitated. "I'm not sure- you might be too late. How old are you?"

"I'm twelve now."

"Well…" he glanced back at Kakashi, and Naruto turned and gave him a piercing look. Kakashi held his gaze until Naruto looked away, then he turned to Natsu. "As long as he can mold chakra… and he's still young enough to enter the Academy."

Natsu turned to Naruto in glee. "You hear that?! This is great; Sakura and I can show you all the basics." Naruto glanced at Sakura who blushed and nodded, then seemed pleased. "We can start tomorrow, and maybe Kakashi-sensei can show you some techniques for chakra control- or Sakura can. She's great with chakra control." Sakura blushed and lightly slapped Natsu's shoulder in playful embarrassment.

In the end, Kakashi was feeling slightly ill, for the journey back seemed like it would be as perilous as Wave.

---------------

When the sun had dropped to the horizon, Kakashi called for setting up camp, and the group nervously began to set it up. They wouldn't have felt so edgy if not for a few factors, one being that the silence had remained and talk had stopped after Natsu had finished his lesson on what Shinobi of Hidden Leaf believed. They had fallen into that silence, and had felt close to being swallowed up by it, and again, the only person who seemed completely comfortable was Naruto. He was at fault for the other reason as well. Once dark had fully set in, they discovered that Naruto's eyes glowed in the dark, two spots of eerie blue that moved, and when they fell on them, it was like being caught under the gaze of a basilisk. Sakura had nervously mentioned his glowing eyes, and Naruto had stated, rather naturally, as if glowing eyes were normal, that they glowed because they were catching any light so he could see in the dark.

"That must be useful for catching prey," Sasuke had remarked sardonically, and while the two others had their backs turned, Naruto sent him a feral grin, and a flash of sharp teeth.

"You have no idea," he had whispered, and that voice had been laced with hunger, a hunger that had chilled both teacher and student.

Once the fire had been started and the tents were settled, the team sat around the light and began to eat their rations. Natsu offered his salted jerky, telling the boy about the type of food Ninja's normally ate when on missions. Naruto had declined the food with a dissatisfied sniff and instead settled for staring at Sakura with longing. Sakura caught the gaze and blushed, obviously mistaking it for something else. But Kakashi knew it wasn't lust, for one he was too young and had yet to even reach puberty. He just looked hungry.

"I'll take the first watch," Kakashi said, drawing Naruto's eyes away from his student. "Sasuke, I want you to take the second watch."

Sasuke nodded; it was clear that he would have objected if someone else was given the second watch. With that, Natsu stretched, yawned, and stood up, turning to the youth next to him.

"Hey Sunny, why don't you bunk up with me for the night," he gestured toward his tent. Naruto glanced back at the tent, then shook his head.

"I'm not…sleepy…" again he said it as if the word was foreign to him.

Natsu shrugged and headed for his tent. "Good night then!"

"Good Night," came the sinister reply, one that sent a shiver up Natsu's spine, and he swiveled around to see the glowing blue eyes trained on him, and a pleasant smile pasted on the face. Natsu swallowed and nodded, disappearing into his tent. Sasuke, who had been standing up to dust himself off was staring at the blond stranger, eyes narrowed, he turned and looked at Kakashi, who was reading his book by fire-light. Kakashi nodded minutely, and Sasuke turned and disappeared into his tent.

Moments later it was just the two of them, and though it seemed as if he was completely engrossed in his book, Kakashi was watching Naruto- watch him. The glowing blue eyes seemed fixated on him, and in the eerie silence Kakashi could almost hear the cogs whirring in Naruto's mind. As he turned the page, he tested the ground.

"I wonder where all the animals have gone," he muttered, and saw the blue orbs narrow in response. Kakashi sighed and settled himself in for a grueling night-watch. Naruto was an alien presence to him, completely unpredictable and utterly dangerous. He couldn't wait to give him to the higher ups.

-------

It was an hour before he would awake Sasuke, and Kakashi was having his doubts. He didn't want to leave the Uchiha alone and wake to find his body- or what was left of it, for he had his suspicions- on the camp grounds. Naruto had remained in the same spot all night, unmoving, as if he were not existing, not even breathing, eyes trained onto the trees, unmoving, unblinking. The void of silence had seemed to grow, not even the cicadas, and the grasshoppers seemed to be in the area. It was almost as if the forest had cleared out completely, and it seemed as if he was completely oblivious to this. Or was he?

Sasuke's time came and went, and he didn't bother waking the Uchiha, though he was sure to see the glares in the morning. He had gone through the book twice, and was now merely admiring the art, when Naruto's voice came slicing through the silence, a sinister, heavily accented voice. It was strange, that it seemed that every word he said was perfectly pronounced with a special kind of care that told him that Japanese was not Naruto's native language. He had been to all the countries, had heard every accent, but Naruto's was completely unknown to him.

"Are you sleepy?" he asked, blue eyes trained on him once again. Kakashi turned a page and sighed.

"I have spent many missions without sleep. This is nothing." Though in truth, he could use that last bit of healing sleep. Though most of his injuries from Wave were gone, he still had a few that made him tired.

"You are still sleepy," Naruto stated matter-of factly. "I can smell it on your skin."

Kakashi lifted his gaze and stared directly into those blue orbs, though, for some reason, they were now more on the purple side.

"Why don't you go rest," he lifted a hand toward the empty tent, the first movement he had made beyond eyes and lips. "I can watch the camp for you."

Kakashi lowered the book. "And what of you? Are you not tired? You look like you've had a long journey."

The hand lowered, and the eyes remained on him, calculating and cold. Then, "I do not need sleep. Ever."

There was a truthful finality in those words that told Kakashi that he was telling the truth, and the goose-bumps returned. The purple eyes narrowed to complete slits, as if in response to his uneasiness. Kakashi lifted the book again and turned the page.

"I do not need sleep tonight. But thanks for the offer." He did not wait for a response, and neither did he receive one.

It was a long night.

**TBC**

**Because this chapter is short, I managed to update faster.**

**When Sunny/Naruto is referred to as Naruto, it's because it's in Kakashi's point of view. Sunny/Naruto still refers to himself as Sunny.**

**Kakashi suspects the contents of Sunny/Naruto's diet by the way he stares at Sakura. Sunny/Naruto's relationship with Kakashi will be rocky, because he does recognize Kakashi as dominant- but as a human, something he considers below him. Therefore, there will be a lot of testing the waters, what he can and can't get away with, and Kakashi will have to be very tough on him in order to keep him in line. I think the first display of this was the mini eye contest they had. Go Kakashi!**

**Sunny/Naruto told Kakashi he doesn't sleep to make himself seem more dangerous. He knows he doesn't fool the jounin, so he's going for scare tactics. He sure as hell won't tell him about _resting_ though.**

**Oh and the first part about the Sandaime was in Kakashi's POV, not the Sandaime's. Yet.**

**Also, you may have noticed that Sunny/Naruto's speech is much better than when he was with Mayu, but in actuality, it was always good. It's just that when he's upset or excited, he has a hard time paying attention to pronunciation. At the moment, he's giving it all he's got.**

**The hungrier Sunny/Naruto is, the less blue his eyes are. He's pretty hungry right now.**

**On a slightly unrelated note, I want to thank all the reviewers, everyone that has taken time to write fantastic reviews and tell me what they think, like, or didn't like about my chapters. Reviewing is not mandatory, and no one has to write one, and I don't expect you to, which makes it all the more fantastic that I get them. Thank you ALL!**


	12. The Game

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion

**I **_**sincerely**_** apologize for spelling or grammar errors in these chapters. Also, this is a two chapter in one deal, so it's a bit longer than any previous one.**

**Chapter Eleven**

**The Game**

"You didn't wake me up."

The Uchiha was glaring death at his sensei, hair disheveled from what looked like a good night's rest.

"Not now Sasuke. I couldn't take any chances. Not last night anyway…" Kakashi glanced back at Naruto, who was in the same position as he had been all night, eyes trained on the treetops. The color of his eyes had progressed back to that unnatural blue; making the jounin wonder if he had imagined the purple. Natsu's tent flapped open and the genin pulled himself drowsily from the tent. As he stretched and yawned, he smiled and greeted them all.

"Good Morning everyone," he beamed cheerfully at the grouchy Sakura who emerged from her tent scratching at her skin and muttering about baths.

Naruto dropped his frozen gaze from the trees and smiled pleasantly at the two. "Good Afternoon Natsu…Sakura."

While Sakura blushed, Natsu gave a light chuckle.

"Actually Sunny, it's not afternoon yet. Actually, it's only seven in the morning. Noon is some time away…"

"I don't care _what_ time it is," Sakura said wryly. "All I want is a decent bath. Kakashi-sensei, can we stop at that river to wash up a bit? Please?"

Kakashi yawned behind his mask and glanced at the sun. "Sure Sakura, but the Endo river is a day away."

Sakura groaned and rubbed her face while Natsu frowned and squinted his eyes at Naruto.

"Sunny?"

The mysterious child turned to look at him.

"Have you been in that same spot all night?"

Naruto blinked at him and nodded.

"Wow…" Natsu said, seeming overwhelmed for a moment. "You sure weren't kidding when you said you weren't sleepy."

Naruto nodded then stood up fluidly, like he hadn't just spent the night in one spot. Kakashi grimaced at all the signs that were blaring at him, that Naruto was more than just a child, and began to pack up his tent. In the meantime, Natsu offered Naruto part of his rations like last night, and this time the youth accepted a biscuit, munching idly away, making a face of distinct dissatisfaction.

After they had packed up camp and dropped sand over the campfire, the Team began to head out. They noticed the subtle sounds of tentative bird-call, and it seemed forest life was returning, albeit hesitantly. Natsu continued his lecture on the art of Shinobi; Naruto gazing forward, head cocked slightly toward the dirty blond, listening as the youth went through the guidelines. After some time, Sakura pulled out a small handbook, _Guideline to the Genin_ and handed the brown booklet to Naruto, who immediately began to flip through the pages, eyes running over the words quickly.

By mid-afternoon they took a break, Sakura muttering fantasies about the bath she hoped to take when they reached the river. Naruto partook of both Natsu's and Sakura's meals, though he seemed to relish Sakura's a bit more, sending her wistful looks between bites.

It was an hour after the meal when Sasuke made his move. He had been watching Naruto all day, black eyes trained on the blond head for hours on end, like he was trying to pry his way through the other youth's mind.

"So 'Sunny', why don't you show us your use of chakra."

Sakura immediately turned to Sasuke with a smile, Natsu grimaced, and Kakashi sighed, aware of the tone in Sasuke's voice. It was the, 'I'm about to show how much better than you I' am by how poorly your about to do' look. At first it seemed as if Naruto was going to ignore him, for all that he remained staring ahead, but then he stopped and turned to the Uchiha, blue yes sharp and full of secrets. He dug into the pouch at his side and pulled out what looked like small green leaves and stuck them in his mouth, chewing on them like he was chewing on thoughts.

"How would you like me to show you…chakura?"

Sasuke smirked and took a step forward. "A spar."

Natsu waved his hands nervously. "Come on now Sasuke. I don't think he's ready for something like that. Leave-"

Sasuke sent him a look that clearly said 'shut up' and got in a battle stance. Natsu sent a pleading look toward his sensei, but Kakashi's eye was riveted on the two youths. On one hand, he was aware that Naruto was not quite human- the writing was clearly on the wall- and he knew that a fight with one of his students would be dangerous. On the other hand, he needed to know what Naruto was capable of before he brought him within sight of his beloved home.

---------------

The dark haired human reminded him of Tsorn, the thought made him slightly ill, and it did not help that he was already agitated beyond belief. Though it turned out easy to get information on the 'ninja' kind, the human food that he had reluctantly eaten was sticking to his insides, for some reason refusing to be processed into energy. This left him feeling full, which was better than feeling hungry, but also very unsettled, and for the first time he could justifiably use the word 'queasy' as a description. He now understood what that term meant, and felt like to his chagrin. He wanted to throw it all back up, but knew that he would be even more ravenous and could possibly attack the human female Sakura. That would most likely leave three angry human ninja left. At that point, he was even pondering his chances of getting away with eating her, was sure it was possible to defeat Natsu and the annoying Sasuke, but could he avoid the Leader? He had chewed thoughtfully on it for hours before he had given it up as a lost cause, but still felt miserable. It would come down to hunting for some regular animals if he wanted some proper food.

And now the stupid human boy was obviously challenging him. He knew that this Sasuke boy didn't like him, and he really could care less- one silly pointless existence that this piece of walking food was. But he was posing as a problem though. He was definitely a Tsorn.

Sunny stood across from the Sasuke boy and became still. He was hesitant to reveal his _source_- er- chakra to them because he was acutely aware that his felt much different from theirs. While their chakra felt calm and rich, like the flow of water in a steady stream, or a gusty wind, his was always malicious and wild, like flames from an inferno. It attracted attention, he was sure of it, and he was unsure how it would be received. The pack had died for his mistakes. Would he too join them? He resolved not to use it, not until he felt like he had to, or wanted to for that matter.

Then the Sasuke boy was moving, coming swiftly up to him with a kick aimed for his head. Sunny grabbed the leg centimeters from his face and spun the boy around by the appendage before releasing him. The human soared through the air and landed niftily on his feet, a flash of wariness running through his dark eyes before he surged forward again. This time he threw three shuriken at him, which he dodged easily, rumbling deep in his chest and missing the round eyes of two of his spectators as he awaited the human boy's next attack.

Sasuke followed through with a swift much, then combined it with a kick that Sunny first dodged, then blocked, snickering at the pure lack of strength in those limbs. Humans were so weak, they really were pathetic. Naruto leaped forward and aimed for the human's chest, hoping to crush the ribs but the boy swerved out of the way and swiped a kunai at his face, cutting some hair from his locks. Sasuke then leaped back, eyeing him before something interesting happened. Sunny felt him use his chakra, felt the surge and watched in slight fascination as black eyes turned a dark bloody red with strange dot like things in them.

Humans were always full of unpleasant surprises.

"Hey Sasuke," came Natsu's distressed voice. "I don't think the Sharingan is necessary!"

The Sasuke boy surged toward him, and he seemed faster than before, managing to land a swift punch squarely on Sunny's jaw, but still it lacked any strength. Sunny's head jerked back, and he made a small guttering noise in his throat, something heavy and dark that made the Sasuke boy's eyes widen, and the momentary scent of fear laced through the air. Agitated, and already wishing for some real food, the scent was savory and sweet, causing Sunny to swipe at the human, hoping to cut open that soft flesh and spill a few delectable droplets of his sweet blood.

But what Sasuke lacked in strength he had gained in speed; he disappeared from before him, only to appear behind him. There was a surge of that cool chakra, and out of the corner of his eye he saw the flash of hands making those strange and foreboding movements.

"Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!"

Sunny managed to swivel about, only to be consumed by an intense heat and a burning he had never felt before.

---------------------

Kakashi was apprehensive during the short spar. Naruto seemed unaffected by Sasuke's punch; which would have sent any other flying, had tossed Sasuke like he weighed nothing, and seemed to slowly become excited by the fighting in general. The tell-tell signs were the slight purple of his eyes and the strange and disturbing sounds emitting from his chest and throat area. But when Sasuke had activate his newly acquired sharingan Kakashi had made to step forward, to stop him from using the fire jutsu on the other youth, but had been too slow, and Naruto's arms and chest were engulfed in a large stream of fire.

"Sunny!" Natsu cried and surged forward as an earsplitting scream emerged from the inferno. Kakashi quickly summoned a water jutsu and doused the flailing youth much at the same time as Natsu, destroying the flames that had engulfed Naruto's chest, arms, and neck. The blond youth staggered back with a high pitched whine that grated on their ears and disappeared into the trees.

"For god's sake Sasuke!" Natsu snapped. "_Have you no control?!_ He's not even in the Academy!"

The Uchiha grimaced but made no reply.

"You all stay together. I'm going after him," and Kakashi leapt into the trees, following the smell of burnt flesh. Burns were always a nasty ordeal; they scarred heavily, and ached like none other, a pain that always ate up everything else. There was usually nothing but the pain and he imagined that he would find Naruto in a rather ugly state.

Moments later he spotted the blond youth crouching on a branch, rocking back and forth, arms wrapped around his head. Kakashi settled quietly on a nearby branch, eyes warily following the burns that riddled Naruto's arms and no doubt chest and stomach. The flesh was blackened and raw, pieces of skin had been peeled back to show meat. The pain must be excruciating, but Naruto made no noise.

"N-Sunny," he called quietly, "Let's get you fixed up." There wasn't much he would be able to do until they made it to Konoha however, since he had never been much of a medic, but he carried some strong sedatives, some that might be able to put the boy out of his misery for a few hours or so.

Naruto stopped rocking and lifted his head, causing Kakashi to suck in his breath. Those blue eyes were no longer. In their place was bright crimson, vertical pupils ringed in an orange fire and a rage that was literally tangible. Naruto uncurled himself and stood up, eyes trained on the jounin. There was no pain in his eyes, just anger, and that was when he noticed the rapidly healing flesh along his body, the oozing burns turning to blisters, muscles reforming. A groan that was deep and heavy passed through the air and the youth plucked at the damaged bracelets on his wrists. They dropped to the forest floor, along with a majority of his necklaces. His earrings had survived the short inferno, and within moments he noticed that there really were no signs that he had been burned badly.

"Are you alright?"

The boy's head moved forward and cocked to the side in an almost bird-like manner.

"I am fine. Pain is a passing matter. I do not fear pain." His accent was even heavier than before, and he noticed with a chill, that there was a strange hiss of air behind each word that sounded completely sinister.

"What_ do_ you fear?" Kakashi asked, knowing that he would get no answer from the child. The lips pulled into a leer, sharp teeth gleaming viciously at him. Then Naruto turned and headed back toward Team Seven, Kakashi quickly following. He did not _like_ this. It was almost like the spar had not happened, like memory along with the burns had vanished.

But he knew better.

When Naruto dropped onto the path where Team Seven remained, Natsu and Sakura ran up to him.

"Sunny, are you all right?!" Their eyes darted over his body, mouths 'oh'ed when they realized he was perfectly fine. "I guess you're alright…" Natsu said faintly, eyes running up and down Naruto's body before squinting at him curiously. "You didn't tell me you had a kekkai genkai. But then, I should have known with the glowing eyes and all."

"What is a kekkai genkai?" Sunny asked, no longer carrying that strange hiss, and eyes back to their brilliant blue.

Natsu held up a finger in pause and pulled the pack off his back, digging into it then pulling out a folded white shirt. "I should have given this to you earlier," he said and shook the shirt open, handing it to the jinchuuriki. Naruto took the shirt, sniffed it once, then began to pull it on, beaming at the genin as he smoothed the shirt to his chest.

"Thank you."

They began to move along, Natsu talking of blood lines and the spar seeming forgotten. Kakashi glanced at Sasuke and noticed the Uchiha heir was studying his knuckles, and noticed that the fist was swollen. He sent Naruto a puzzled and troubled look before dropping the hand and brooding on. Naruto was listening with great interest to the lectures, perfectly whole and comfortable in his brown pants and white shirt.

But he knew better.

-----------------

Of course he hadn't forgotten. It was obvious what the human boy Sasuke had initiated.

The Game.

It was Tsorn and Spayt who had introduced him to the Game, which usually happened over kill times. Tsorn would take Spayt's food- or the two would disagree over something, and one would attack. Whatever it was, one would make the move, and the other would retaliate…later. It was what made the Game so exciting- the wait- the wonder when the other was going to serve out some payback. Some times it was days, other times it was weeks. The tension, the wonder, and it always came as a surprise. No matter if they knew that the other was to make his move, when it actually happened, it was always a shock. And that was what made the Game so fun.

Of course, for years Sunny had been excluded from the Game, not because he had been too young, but because his retaliations had always been quick with rather punishable results. If Tsorn took his food, or hit him, or anything to make him miserable for that matter, Sunny would just cry, and he was good at crying. He would give off such a screech that had the pack gritting its teeth and Krik snapping at Tsorn to give the food back or apologize. Either way, there was no playing the Game with Sunny, not until he understood that it wasn't very demonly to cry in such a manner. After that, he had always been slow in his retaliation, waiting up to months before he would suddenly bite Tsorn or Spayt. It was through the Game that he learned patience, learned that waiting and watching was the best way to surprise and inflict the most damage. And damage he would do to this Sasuke. He wouldn't wait months though- perhaps only a day since he didn't know how long a human's memory lasted. Mayu was always forgetting things when she was alive.

His hand ran along the remaining necklaces, only three of them and one belonging to the snake man. Mayu's had been burned away along with many of the necklaces that he had collected.

If Sasuke wanted to see what he could do with the_ source _then Sunny would give him more than he could swallow, consequences be damned.

--------------

Before that evening, it was clear that the human food was not going to be digested, and it remained sitting in his stomach, heavy muck that seemed to weigh him down. He felt fortunate that the forest animals were beginning to return; he could hear the rustle of animal life, the piercing cries of bird song. Unlike Mayu's home, which had been a place of lingering death, and the animals would never return, this forest was fresh- with more natural deaths.

The Sasuke boy had returned to staring at him again, which he ignored in favor of some critical thinking. To his chagrin, he was going to have to accept that _resting_ was going to arrive sooner than he had surmised. He had hoped he would have until Konoha before _resting_ approached, but the burns he had received had caused a more extensive healing than he had ever had before, pulling on the last of his reserves, all of which had been low anyway. For some time now, his reserves had been small, something he could only attribute to his appetite-less depression a year before, and even though he had spent that year trying to build it back up, it was becoming increasingly apparent that he had thrown his body off of a very rigid routine, and perhaps it would take years before everything worked at maximum proficiency again. Sunny clenched his fists.

It seemed as if he could only properly function when someone was telling him what to do. Sunny opened his fists and gazed at the small marks of blood that remained after the cuts had healed. He noticed his blood was darker than human blood, a much deeper crimson so that it almost looked black.

"Sunny, was your family shinobi?" Sakura's voice intruded upon his morbid thoughts. Sunny looked up at her and smiled.

"No, they did not like violence," Sunny suppressed the urge to snort; the pack had always enjoyed violence.

The human female nodded. "I know how that is. Only my grandparents were shinobi, and they didn't make it past chuunin, so I want to make it to jounin. No one in Natsu's family are ninja either." Sakura glanced over at the dirty blond. "Which I've always wondered. How come you joined the Academy?"

Natsu, who had been reading a few scrolls, glanced up and smiled.

"Honestly, and don't laugh, I used to watch the ninja run the rooftops when I was very young. I was so enamored that well-'' He sent them a sheepish look. "I joined up." He then turned to Sunny with a puzzled frown. "Are you sure you didn't belong to a shinobi clan? You clearly have some type of kekkai genkai. Have you any affinity towards a certain type of animal? Dog? Cat? Other? How about elements? Water? Fire? Earth?"

"I don't know," he glanced at their leader, who was gazing at their surroundings. "Truly we were…" he paused to think carefully of the pronunciation, "isolated."

"Huh…" was Natsu's mystified reply.

-------------

As night fell and the humans began to make camp again, Sunny decided it was time to rid his body of the human food that sat in his stomach like lead He glanced at the human pack. The Kakashi leader was setting up his tent while Sakura and Natsu gathered fire wood. He was more wary of fire today than he had been the day before, for obvious reasons; he had never been burned before. The Sasuke boy was standing nearby, black eyes trained on him, causing Sunny to leer at him and turn towards the forest.

"Where are you going?" came the boy's voice.

Sunny glanced back at him, his eyes catching the natural light from the night sky and searching for the human words he needed.

"I need to relieve myself," he said with a precarious shrug, bearing slightly sharp teeth as he shrank into the forest. Quickly he put some distance between himself and the humans, then paused to stick his index and middle finger down his throat, bringing up the human food, a thick paste that had never processed. Sunny grumbled in trepidation and climbed into the trees. He settled on a branch, pulled off his white shirt and neatly folded it before sticking it in a corner and becoming completely still. Sunny took a deep breath, drinking in the forest scents and admiring the mammoth trees and their thick canopies. The trees of Fire Country were so large; in fact, he was sure that many forest dwelling packs could live quite well in them.

Not too far off he could hear Natsu ask after him, his voice laced with worry, and Sunny tuned him out as the sound of a predator moved through the thicket. He could tell it was a carnivore even before its scent hit his nose- the way it moved- silently, carefully, perhaps with years of practice and months of invincibility. Sunny grinned, bearing his now fully sharp teeth, eyes bleeding crimson. But he was the ultimate predator; he leaned forward, nostrils flaring at the musky scent of wolf. He was the master of the forest, none could match his prowess.

The wolf paused, perhaps realizing how close it actually was to the demon. Sunny did not give him the chance to retreat. He leaped through the trees, grabbing a branch, then angling himself head first as the wolf passed frantically under him. Sunny landed on its sturdy back; the wolf spun around, ready to take a vicious bite at the assailant. Sunny grabbed its jaw and tore it from the muzzle, and as the wolf screamed he quickly twisted the head, snapping the neck. The wolf's body spasmed and slumped to the earth. Sunny shuddered and immediately tore through the thick fur, ripping past skin to get to the meaty parts. He ate quickly and without reservation, blood smearing his face and hands. Immediately the meat began to process and disperse throughout his body, as Sunny quickly devoured heart and liver, and slurped blood where it congealed.

A crack of a twig, and Sunny froze in mid-chew, head snapping up and eyes falling on the Kakashi human. He was in the trees, a dark shadow watching him. Above the aroma of blood and death, the scent of fear was permeating from the leader. It was easy to imagine that he was such a sight, blood had dribbled down his neck, and he had blood up to his elbows.

"Would you join me?" he offered, then immediately realizing his mistake. He had reverted back to demon tongue, completely forgetting himself amongst his feast. The reaction was the same as with all humans: Kakashi stiffened, a hand jerked to his side where he knew a kunai sat, wide eyed. He supposed what frightened them the most was how deep his voice was, though it was completely natural to him, humans tended to have higher or lower octaves of voice according to gender and size. Sakura's was light and high pitched while Natsu's and Sasuke's were lower, but did not carry the weight that the Kakashi leader had. His own was very deep, and he was pleased that it was one of the few things that had been on par with his brothers, for his was just as deep, heavy, and guttural as theirs had been, never mind his size. But his natural voice seemed to put humans on edge.

Sunny swallowed the meat in his mouth and remained crouched, unsure of where this was to go. He knew that the charade had long been up, that the Kakashi leader was more than aware that he was not human. But he had never shown his eating habits to the human before, and he remembered how revolted Mayu had been when she had seen him eat. He had to simply accept that when it came to pretending, he was very poor. With a moment's insight, he knew that his time spent with Mayu had had one major flaw. Though he had learned the language, he had never tried to be human, had not pretended to do the things that humans did. He had not closed his eyes and lay in one place for hours during the night, had not learned to properly process the human food like he knew he should, or any other thing that would have labeled him as a normal human child. Mayu had been too accepting- she had let him be himself, probably awed by how different he was from her. It turned out to be a lasting and probably fatal disservice. He only had himself to blame.

"Sunny."

There was a look of pure determination in the human's eye, like he was about to put himself through some great tribulation. Sunny lifted his head, luminous eyes focused on the human.

"Come along Sunny. The others are asking after you." His eye remained focused on him, then the carcass, the look of determination increasing tenfold. Sunny nodded and quickly began to gobble down all he could, who knew when he would get a decent meal again? then began to wipe his hands and face in the grass, erasing evidence of the blood. With any luck the others would not smell it on him- humans had such a weak sense of smell.

He then followed the human back through the forest, grabbing his shirt as they passed and putting it on.

-------

That night Kakashi decided to place Natsu on second watch so he could get some shut eye, and in the meantime, he continued to watch Naruto watch him. The scene from earlier had shocked him, seeing the blond child devour the wolf raw, red eyes shining and intense- Kakashi had seen very little humanity in those eyes, eyes that had been so foreign, with no compassion beyond ravenous pleasure. He was determined now to get the youth to Konoha, to the Hokage, even though his instincts told him not to. He was positive that the child had eaten more that the occasional animal, judging by the way he stared at Sakura with such longing.

Kakashi eyed the youth who had helped set up camp and was sitting in the crook of a tree's roots, digging into a small pouch, a look of agitation crossing his face.

"What's the matter?" Kakashi asked, and the youth glanced up at him, a frown marring his beautiful features.

"No more peppermint…" he muttered glumly, then dropped the pouch in disgust. He dropped his head in his hands and remained that way for hours, and when Natsu came to take Kakashi's place, the boy still did not move, despite Natsu's inquiries.

As the jounin settled for the rest of the night, he hoped that by morning his team would all remain in one piece.

------

Endo River was home to several species of bird, mammal, and amphibian life forms that immediately evacuated the area upon their arrival. They quickly set up camp in the remaining trees that surrounded the river and breathed in the fresh water air as they settled down for a few hours. Konoha was less than a few days away, and not many real baths had been taken since Wave, so the opportunity was welcome by all. Sakura grabbed the last of her clothing and began to head towards the river, and was quickly followed by Sunny.

"Whoa there!" Natsu called in surprise as he grabbed Sunny's arm. "Where are you going?"

Sunny glanced at the hand holding his arm then sent him a puzzled look.

"I'm going to take a bath."

Natsu chuckled and sat down in the dirt. "Why don't we wait until Sakura is done okay?"

Sunny frowned and sniffed his arm. "But I'm dirty. Why do I have to wait until after she is done?"

Natsu stared at him. "Because she's a girl."

"So?"

Natsu's eyebrows rose to his hairline. "Either you know too much about girls- or too little," he muttered. "Look, you smell fine. Like…tree bark and peppermint. You can wait a few minutes until she's done, then you can take a bath with Sasuke and I."

At this, Sasuke looked over and scowled, eyeing the brilliant blond who turned and leered at him, then sat down next to Natsu.

They waited for some time before Sakura appeared, damp, yet satisfied-though she warned them about the cold water. Natsu smiled when Sunny sniffed the space near her, then made a noise of appreciation, which made Sakura turn the color of a tomato, then began to head towards the river. Natsu glanced back at his sensei, who waved at him in a manner that said he would take a bath after they were done. He wondered if he would ever see his sensei's face.

"I'm going to do a perimeter sweep, so be careful while you take a bath," Kakashi said suddenly, before they could disappear from view. Natsu stopped and sent him a look of surprise.

"In Konoha territory?"

Kakashi shrugged. "One can never be too careful," and he disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Natsu nodded in thought and glanced at Sunny, who was staring quite intently at the small leaves that had settled on the forest floor where the jounin once stood.

-----------------

It came to him quite suddenly, what he was going to do to the Sasuke boy, and he had to cover his maniacal laughter under the water. He had gotten so used to the warm baths that Mayu used to draw up for him, that returning to the frigid cold of river water had been an unpleasant experience. He had not been as vocal about it as Natsu, yet had made more noise than the pathetically stoic Sasuke, so when the idea came upon him he simply dunked his head into the water. When he resurfaced, Natsu was beginning to make his exit.

"W-w-water iss t-too c-cold. C-Clean alr-r-ready. M-must escape!" and he walked along the floor until he could leave the water, where he shivered at the bank and hastily covered himself. He then turned to them. "The water's really cold. I think you guys should get out now- lest you catch a cold. The shock of such cold water against this heat will probably make us all sick later."

Sunny glanced at the Sasuke boy, who was shivering, and began to wash his head, challenging the boy rather blatantly, to leave. The Sasuke boy's dark eyes narrowed, and despite his apparent discomfort began to wash his arms. Sunny turned his back on him and meticulously began to pull out the feathers in his hair, eyeing them and dropping them into the water with a sigh. He would have to catch a few birds later to redecorate. The pity was, birds were hard to catch off guard, since they always seemed aware of his presence. If only he could catch another one of those human females again, the old dying ones with all that jewelry. Perhaps in Konoha he could find another one?

He glanced at the corner of his eye as Natsu gave a huff of exasperation and left the two to do their silent battle. Sunny covered his grin with a swipe of a hand and waited till Natsu was far away enough that he might not hear Sasuke's screams. He then turned to the remaining human and smiled, baring his teeth in their natural form, his eyes slowly following suit. The Sasuke boy's eyes widen, hands flew together to make the signs, but Sunny was faster. A chakra hand burst from the ground, wrapping around the startled genin's waist, and pulled him under the water. Pooling chakra to his feet and hands, Sunny calmly pulled himself above the water and stood up, eyes dancing as he watched the human struggle for air. He had not waited too long for the Game; surely the human would understand why he was suffering now. Sunny giggled as again the boy tried to toss his terror aside and make hand signs, but Sunny's crimson eyes narrowed and the chakra hand tightened around the boy's waist and shook him vigorously, causing his arms to flail about.

Steam rose from the water due to the heat of the chakra, yet the only sign that the genin was fighting for his life were the bubbles and ripples that his underwater struggle was creating. Sunny began to grind his teeth together to keep from salivating heavily, his ears twitching at the sound of the human's gurgling cries. He had never tortured someone before, never knew how wonderful the sounds of the cries could be, or the intoxicating smell of terror-

His presence came like a sharp angry wind and the tang of metal came to his nostrils. Sunny stiffened as the sharp kunai began to press angrily against his throat.

The Kakashi leader had arrived.

-------------------

He had returned to the site where they had left their things, satisfied that his team was safe for the time being, when he noticed that only Sakura and Natsu were in the immediate area.

"Where are Sasuke and Sunny?" he demanded quickly, startling the two genin, who were in the process of packing things up. Natsu scowled

"Oh they're still in the water, trying to out-do each other in the stupidity department-OW!" he exclaimed when Sakura smacked his head. Kakashi was already headed toward the river, heart pounding in dread at what he was about to find.

Upon reaching the clearing, he froze to take in the scene. Naruto was standing on the water, a display of great chakra control, arms dangling at his sides as he stared down at the water. The expression upon his face was chilling, a wide grin baring sharp dagger like teeth, and red eyes that seemed to be glowing. There was cruelty in that gaze, and extreme pleasure, his face almost flushed with excitement. Kakashi's eyes followed Naruto's eyes and his heart almost stopped. Before he even felt himself move, he was standing behind the blond haired youth, kunai drawn and at his throat. He let his killing intent fall over the boy like a veil and whispered in his most deadly voice, "Let him go."

The youth stiffened and tilted his head back, eyes connecting with his own. Kakashi had fought many battles, had seen many men and women quail under him when he was ready to kill, but this crazy child merely narrowed his eyes and flared his nostrils, clearly challenging him. He would have been more appalled if not for the fact that Sasuke had stopped moving. Kakashi pressed the kunai so that it drew blood, blood that he noticed seemed much darker than average, and got ready to do what he had to keep Sasuke alive. Did he want to kill Naruto? No, but his team came first, they were his precious people, and he would let no one harm them. No one.

Within one second and the next, in which the boys' eyes seemed to search his, the angry chakra faded, and the youth's eyes changed back to the startling blue before averting themselves in what was a clear display of submission. Kakashi pushed him aside and reached into the water, grabbing the Uchiha and pulling him out. The boy's face was turning grey, his lips already blue, and his whole midriff was covered in angry second degree burns, no doubt the water had leeched some of the heat from the chakra, judging by all the steam. Wrapping his arms around Sasuke's burnt waist he heaved and pushed the water out of his student's lungs until Sasuke coughed and gurgled, eyes opening wide as consciousness returned to him. Then wild black eyes darted around, no doubt searching for the blond that was no longer there. Naruto had snuck off- but he knew that he would be seeing the youth again.

He helped Sasuke to the bank, examined his wounds, which had also burned his palms and parts of his arms. Sasuke tried not to let the pain show, but the burns surely could have been worse, and as he put on a simple salve, he thanked the stars that he had arrived in time to stop his student's murder.

Yes. Murder. He had seen the same look on opponents and comrade's faces, and was equally sure that Naruto had killed other people. Sandaime was going to be very disappointed.

When they returned to the others, Natsu took one look at Sasuke's face in knew who the loser had been, but Kakashi was sure he didn't know to what extent, Sasuke burns being covered up by his clothing and the usual bandages that cover his arms.

"Where's Sunny?" Sakura asked, and his reply was that the boy had gone off to search for something and that he would catch up later, which he was sure he would. But Natsu sent Sasuke a sidelong glance that clearly said that he didn't believe that was the case, but they continued on anyways.

------------

Sunny curled up in a ball and let _resting_ take over, silently cursing it for coming at the time it had. He had almost not gotten away when it had descended upon him, but he had managed to make some distance between them while the Kakashi leader revived his poor pitiful human. Sunny managed a lazy smile as his eyes strayed lazily over the surrounding trees. Fire Country did have the best trees.

He'd catch up to them later- the Kakashi leader was unlikely to kill him if he kept his distance. And he would, and no doubt the Sasuke boy would avoid him, never to play the Game again, which was a real pity. He had felt so _alive_ today.

Nonetheless, Konoha was sure to be interesting.

--------

Sunny had popped up hours later, unscathed with several very bright feathers decorating his hair. He was all smiles and laughs, asking questions and making Sakura blush every time his eyes fell on her. He stayed clear of Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei, but whenever their eyes met, Natsu saw a steely glint enter his sensei's eyes, one that seemed to cow the blond, though this was only displayed by the quick averting of his impossibly blue eyes.

Sasuke on the other hand, seemed to be constantly in pain, back stiff and face pinched. Whenever his eyes fell upon Sunny, a look of burning hate, and surprisingly fear, would pass through them. But Sunny seemed oblivious to his hate, and he listened when they lectured about ninja protocol and things of that nature.

And so the next few nights went on in peace, with very few surprising or daunting moments, and no one challenged them, or one another.

"We must be near the village," Sunny said suddenly, startling the group out of their thoughts. They had just started walking that morning, all of them seeming to suffer from the same bug called grouchiness. Natsu turned to him in curiosity.

"Oh yeah? What makes you say that?"

Sunny's head tilted in a birdlike manner, ear to the wind. "I can hear them…and smell them," a look of distaste passed through the sharp eyes.

Before he could reply, Kakashi's voice cut through the air. "Konoha is a few miles away. We'll be there before nightfall."

Sakura turned round eyes toward Sunny, who seemed to have lost interest and his face had gone blank.

The day passed, they stopped at check points where guards stood and greeted them, eyes running over Sunny in a curious manner, for he was a sight, such a beautiful child he was, but they were not accosted, and it was only a matter of time that they were pulled into the stream of human and animal that entered and exited the village. Natsu sighed in relief at the familiar gates, at the towering buildings and at the smells of human life, missing how the cattle shuddered when they passed or how the birds scrambled away as they approached. He missed the growing agitation that began to grace Sunny's face, or how his purple eyes darted here and there, nostrils flaring, and a low hum coming from deep in his chest.

It was good to be home.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

He burst forth from the earth with a howl like a new born babe from its mother's womb, but the forest shuddered at the rage that poured forth from his body. The demon staggered to its feet and blinked yellow eyes at the blaring sun, and was greeted by a world gone quiet by his presence. The rage remained and he screamed and stumbled, legs unused to movement and body weak with hunger and extensive healing. A year and some of _resting_ and recuperating and still he felt like a mess, inside and out. The human he had eaten had only served well for a few hours before his _reserves_ had to be used, and now that he was down to nothing, he had to find food fast.

Tsorn moved as fast as his weakened body would allow, digging small rodents from their hiding places in the earth and devouring whole colonies. Whatever he could get went into his mouth and was processed the moment it hit his stomach. For days he went on his single minded eating frenzy, ate anything that moved until his body felt strong enough to hold thoughts and heart strong enough to bare the truth.

His brothers were dead.

He had barely escaped the madness that hung at the edge of his mind, threatening to engulf him at every moment, whenever his mind strayed to his loss. His brothers were dead. There was no long winded battle, no excitement, and no human bodies littering the forest floor. The terror had been theirs, and theirs alone, and death had come quickly for them all. All except him. Tsorn's shoulders slumped where he sat under a particularly depressing willow tree and let the misery wash over him. No Krik to boss him around, no Tkaa to make him feel like a demon-ling whenever he opened his mouth, no Spayt to mess with, or Sunny to-

Tsorn's head snapped up, eyes flaring yellow at the thought of the last member of the pack. He searched all his bonds, the ones with his brothers were no longer existing, a vast emptiness, but when he searched for Sun's, he felt it like some vague shock.

Sunny was still alive.

Tsorn jumped to his feet, his muscles vibrating with excitement. He wasn't alone! He turned in the direction he sensed Sunny in, and made to leap for the trees when full understanding hit him. Sunny was _alive_. The cause of all his pain was off somewhere, most likely not paying for his own pack's destruction. Tsorn growled and grit his teeth, leaping into the trees.

He was going to find that little wretch, and when he did…

**TBC**

**Sunny/Naruto will meet Sandaime in the next chapter, though many of you imagined it would be this chapter. I'm sorry. Also, I have not abandoned this fic, nor have it on hiatus, it's simply that I've developed joint problems in my fingers and can't type as much as I'd like to. As one can imagine, I'm in a lot of pain right now.**

**On a slightly different note, I've decided that there will be a chuunin exam in this fic, but will be told in small segments and will not be an in-depth experience, simply because Sunny/ Naruto will certainly **_**not**_** be a participant. That would be silly. However, that does not mean it will go strictly to canon.**

**I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ERRORS, AS I DO TRY MY UTMOST BEST TO ERASE THEM. HOWEVER, I MAY HAVE TO FIND A BETA READER IF THIS KEEPS UP. SORRY!!!!**


	13. Sandaime

_**Disclaimer: Naruto is not the original work of Daystar Clarion**_

**There's going to be frequent POV changes throughout this chapter, sorry.**

**Chapter Twelve**

_**Sandaime**_

He was overwhelmed by how immense this village was compared to the previous one he had been in, and the sheer size alone made him nervous; he felt like a small ant trapped in a termite mound. Humans milling about- moving toward or from some wayward task that consumed their lives. Tkaa had said humans moved through their lives in such a rush that it was no wonder they died so quickly. Or perhaps it was that knowledge, that time was short for them, that made them move like they had no time at all. And perhaps they didn't. But scanning their faces, he could see that they were content, maybe accepting such a short existence. How long would he live if he was not killed? How many millenniums would he watch go by?

These morose thoughts left a glum look upon his ethereal features and he trudged along with reluctance. Humans talking, laughing, shouting, fixing things and breaking them, hugging, cursing, a myriad of emotions and actions done within moments of each other. He eyed the humans as they sent him curious looks, one small offspring pointing a small grubby finger at his adorned locks.

Would there be a time when he moved with such purpose as the humans did?

_Perhaps I already am,_ he thought, glancing at his new companions. Natsu and Sakura were talking in quick excited voices, looking more relaxed than he had seen them in the week of their acquaintance. Even the Sasuke boy looked more at ease, though he still walked stiffly. Only the Kakashi leader was giving off waves of distress, and he noticed how his eye would drift over to him on occasion.

They moved along with the flow, his eyes darting to all the humans milling about him. A dog barked viciously at him, frothing at the mouth, eyes wild. Next to it a girl cowered in shock at the rage emanating from her once amiable canine. Sunny bared his teeth and growled at an octave too low for the human ears to hear. The dog yelped in mid bark and fled, leaving the girl stunned and frightened.

"Sunny," the Kakashi leader admonished and Sunny ducked his head. For now he would do as required.

For now.

----------------------------------------

Shino enjoyed training in the forest outside of the gates; insect life was more free, unfettered by human life, running their natural course and obeying their own laws. Kiba enjoyed being in the forest less, not because he didn't enjoy wildlife, on the contrary, 'wild' was his middle name, it was merely that Akamaru was hard to control in the forest, easily distracted by the scents and trails of other living creatures. And though most places made her nervous, Hinata did enjoy the peaceful wildlife of the forest because most of the dangerous animals did not come close to the walls and it didn't feel like she was constantly being watched.

Kurenai-sensei, however, seemed at ease with any place, any situation, and he could respect her for that. In the beginning he had been skeptical of the kunoichi, but after five minutes in her company, any doubts he had faded. Every day he looked forward to what he would learn, what he could teach his kekkai bugs to do. Today was going to be one of those fact filled days he looked forward to

As they approached the gates Kurenai spotted Team Seven passing through and lifted a hand in greeting towards the Copy Nin. Hatake-san, for once, wasn't reading one of his degrading porn books she so despised and his team seemed in good health, though she noticed Uchiha's stiff walk.

Then she noticed the fifth person walking next to Kazuya Natsu, and she raised a brow in curiosity. He was definitely the most eye-catching child she had ever seen, with bright blond hair decorated with white, brown, and blue feathers. His ears, from what she could see of them, were adorned with dangling and loop earrings, though much was hidden by his blond halo of hair and laying on his chest were several necklaces. His eyes were a cerulean blue, his face so beautiful, that for a second she thought he was some type of angelic apparition. But he made shadows, and when her eyes fell on his cheeks, she froze and blinked. Hard.

They were faint, almost silvery, but they were there. Six whisker marks, three on each side.

Her team paused beside her and noticed the approaching team. She took in the boy's walk, though it was more like a predatory glide, like he had muscles in places humans didn't.

Uzumaki Naruto.

"Yo! Natsu!" Kiba called, and the dirty blond from Team Seven turned pleasant brown eyes on them. He smiled cheerfully and waved.

"Hey Inuzuka-san! Going on a mission?"

"Nah," Kiba replied as the team stopped in front of them. Kurenai looked directly into the masked nin's eye, and saw the almost imperceptible nod. She also saw how unhappy the infamous Copy Nin was. "We're just going out to train. What about you? Back from a mission?"

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, though it turned out to be a B-ranked mission. We actually fought a powerful Nuke-nin from Mist," Hinata gave him wide eyes. It was barely a secret that she had a big crush on Natsu. "Oh! And we helped escort a new friend to Konoha." He turned towards the boy standing near him. "This is…umm… You know Sunny, I never asked what your family name was." He said looking sheepish.

The boy's head swiveled towards Natsu, eyes puzzled, as if he had no clue what the dirty blond was asking. And Kurenai could see an alien look pass over his face like a shadow, the look of someone whose mind worked on a completely different level, on completely different reasoning.

"My name is just Sun. I don't have a… 'family name.' "

Natsu opened his mouth as if to continue, but then he blinked and shrugged, as he had become used to the paradox of the boy. And perhaps he had, having spent more than a week traveling with the vessel. Kurenai noticed the steady glare that the Uchiha boy was directing toward Uzumaki, and noticed the white marks around his tightly pressed lips. It was the look of concealed pain.

"I trust your mission was a success," she said to Hatake-san, and the Copy-nin turned his solemn eye on her; they communicated through that one look. Uzumaki was to be treated as a spy, was to be watched and studied. If he had been alive this whole time, then someone would have been his caretaker, and only a fool village would pass up the opportunity to harness the power of a jinchuuriki. Sometimes she felt like Konoha was a village of fools, so easily they let someone take the beautiful baby.

A small growl and whimper came to her ears, and she turned to see the pup Akamaru shudder under Kiba's arm, eyes focused on the blond. The eerie blue eyes fell on the pup, but there was no malice in the gaze, as a matter of fact, there was nothing in the gaze, and it moved on to stare at Hinata. The blond brows rose when the boy noticed her eyes and he took a step forward, standing directly in front of her, moving pass the standard personal bubble that people have when they don't know you. Hinata ducked her head and blushed, and the boy leaned forward and bent his head so he could look at her eyes.

"Sunny," Kakashi said in a warning tone Kurenai had only heard him use a few times on the battlefield, and the boy heeded his voice, simply stepping back and smiling at the timid Hyuuga.

"You have pretty eyes," he said in a pleasant voice that carried a strange accent that she had never heard before. Hinata's face turned like a ripe tomato and Kurenai resisted the urge to laugh. This boy was already on his way to being a true lady killer. Then the amusement vanished when she saw the considering look that the boy was giving the Hyuuga Heir, a look she had seen in only a few rather cruel humans. Like he was picking her apart with his eyes. He had such cold eyes. Akamaru was whimpering in the fold of Kiba's jacket, while he stared warily at the newcomer, fighting the urge to come to Hinata's rescue. The things that Akamaru was saying frightened him, words like 'monster' and 'death' kept coming out of the pups mouth. He could even feel the tension riding off of Shino- no doubt his bugs were as agitated as Akamaru.

Natsu reached out and pulled Sunny away from Hinata, and the tension faded. He turned his eyes on the rest of them, and there was nothing but goodwill in them, they sparkled and beamed. But no one was fooled.

"Well, we're going to give a mission's report to the Hokage," the Copy-Nin said and that seemed to pull everyone out of the moment. Team Eight moved out of the way as Team Seven passed. Natsu gave a small wave, then leaned forward as Sunny whispered something in his ear. Natsu's face went pale and he bestowed a weak smile upon the brilliant blond before putting an arm at his back and moving him along quicker.

Kurenai turned to her team and saw that Kiba was staring after them, lips drawn into a hard line.

"What is it?" she asked, and he blinked and sighed.

"Akamaru heard what he said to Natsu. He said he liked your eyes; they remind him of pools of blood…Akamaru says he smells of many deaths. We better stay away from him. He's bad news."

"My bugs won't follow him," Shino said in an emotionless voice. "they are afraid."

----------------------

He was being lectured by Natsu, on how to treat the Hokage, with the utmost respect and consideration. From what he had read in the Ninja handbooks, the Hokage was the most powerful human in the village. More powerful than Kakashi, more powerful than the humans who had killed his pack. He was going to smile and sweet talk this powerful human, use the _Lure_ if he had to, learn all the arts of the ninja. Sunny preened. He had come to the right place, done the right thing- he was sure of it- and perhaps the pack would be proud of him. And yet, despite coming to the right place, he felt an unexplainable hate towards this village, something that felt so deep, so much a part of him, that he was sure he had been here before. Been here like it belonged to him, like all of Fire Country did, that this village was his and it had wronged him somehow.

"Hey! Is that someone from Hidden Rain?" Sakura asked suddenly, and the team looked to see four humans standing by a stall, eyeing a map. Their hitai-ate had what looked like a rain drop. "What are they doing here?"

Kakashi glanced at the group and shook his head. "Let's focus on finishing this mission first. Remember it isn't over until we report it to the Hokage."

The team continued on, Sunny gazed about the village, eyes falling here and there. He was about to meet the Hokage.

---------------------

Sarutobi put the finishing touch on the kanji and exhaled pleasantly. Even with the added task of inviting rivaling villages to Konoha, and the increased security, he managed to get some time to himself and relax, enjoying the art of calligraphy that he seldom was allowed to do these days. Soon jounin with teams would be entering their students in the Chuunin Exams, and he vaguely wondered if any of the new rookies would be joining. Already Maito Gai had entered his team, bragging about how his team was charged with the 'burning flame of youth.' He had assuredly agreed about the little clone Gai had created in his own image, Rock Lee, a most promising youth- even if he couldn't wield chakra. He wondered about Team Kurenai, Asuma, and Kakashi. They had yet to enter their students.

There was a knock on his door and he let his shoulders sag. Well, it had been good while it lasted.

"What is it?" he called as he stood up and pulled on his robes, put his hat on, and strode to his desk, sitting down in his best Hokage manner. Perhaps news of the Kazekage from Suna, who was arriving today.

"Sir, it's Team Seven reporting from their mission." A voice called from behind the door. Sarutobi smiled and told him to let them in. The door opened and Team Seven shuffled in, first with Haruno Sakura, looking only slightly disheveled but pleased with herself. Then came Uchiha Sasuke, and he noticed immediately the stiff backed walk, that the boy had been injured though he made no noises and kept his face blank. He worried about that boy. Ever since the Uchiha massacre, he had been keeping an eye on the youth. Kakashi had told him of the boy's desire to avenge his fallen clan at all costs, and hoped that somehow being in such a positive team would help the boy choose a different path than revenge. Revenge had always been a one way path, and when the end is reached, there was usually nothing left.

In came Kazuya Natsu, one of his favorites, one of the most pleasant and well behaved children he had ever met. But though he usually greeted the Hokage with a smile, and often candy, he was now looking back at a fourth child with a slightly anxious expression as Kakashi entered the room and motioned for the chuunin to close the door behind him. He noticed the look in the Copy-Nin eyes, chagrin and apprehension, and it seemed directed towards the brilliant blond that moved behind Sasuke, whose body stiffened in response, and passed on to stand next to Sakura.

He then was able to actually get a look at the extra child, and actually felt his world spin.

----------------

Kakashi held back a groan. This was not going to go well. He watched as his Hokage's face turned an ashen gray as his eyes focused on Uzumaki, who had positioned himself as far from Kakashi as he could manage without making it look obvious. But he was already onto him. The Sandaime's dark brown eyes widened, his mouth opened, then closed, only to open again.

"Hokage-sama? Are you alright?" Natsu asked, voice laced heavy with concern, eyes darting between Naruto and the Hokage. Uzumaki was staring at the Hokage, eyes focused solely on the old man's brown ones, as if he were trying to see into the Hokage's soul.

Sandaime abruptly stood up and moved around the desk, Kakashi made to move to Naruto's side. He had already thought, that perhaps Naruto was sent here by some rival village to assassinate the Hokage, and what better way than to come straight at his heart. He knew that the boy was no henge, solely because he had felt that signature chakra, the chakra of the Kyuubi. But this was not Uzumaki Naruto, and he was ready to tell the Hokage that, and tell himself that, for he was still Naruto in his mind.

The boy's nostrils flared as the Hokage approached, and his eyes narrowed, but there was no malcontent in his eyes. He seemed more curious than anything else, but Kakashi was ready for anything. Sandaime stood before Na-Sunny, and stared down at him.

"What's your name?" he whispered, eyes burrowing into the cerulean blues. Any other person would have cringed, or become nervous, but Sunny seemed to return to that unnatural stillness as he cocked his head to the side and eyed the Hokage. For a moment, heavy silence reigned in the room, then the boy spoke.

"My name is Sunny."

The Hokage blinked, took a step back, then let his eyes rove over the angelic face, falling on the faint whisker marks. He lifted his gaze and looked at Kakashi, his eyes asking the same question Kurenai had asked, except this one put so much hope into that one question. Kakashi gave a minute nod and the Sandaime shut his eyes, as if he were in pain. Natsu's eyes were darting to everyone in the room, to the grim face of his sensei, the stoic silence of Sasuke, to the confused nervousness of Sakura. The only one who seemed unperturbed was Sunny himself, though he was completely still, showed no signs of ill-comfort at the strange behavior of the Hokage.

The Hokage placed a hand on Sunny's shoulder; the youth turned his head and looked at the wizened hand.

"Welcome back N-Sunny," he said, a smile blooming on his face, a smile that the Team had never seen before that made Kakashi inwardly sigh.

Sunny looked up from the hand and suddenly, he smiled, a smile that reached his eyes seeming completely merry, and the tension melted from the room; Sakura gave a small giggle. Natsu rubbed his head and smiled, watched as the Hokage patted Sunny's shoulder, though he looked like he wanted to do more than just that pat. The Sandaime then turned and returned to his desk, sitting behind the desk and turning his eyes to the rest of Team Seven.

"So I trust it all went well? How about a mission report?"

But they could see his eyes dart over to Sunny, whose smile never evaporated. It remained, so happy, and yet, Kakashi felt that there wasn't something right about it. Like it was the same smile he might give while he was murdering babies. Happy, cheerful, as if all was _too_ right with the world.

--------------------------------

It was just his lousy rotten luck. He had been under the impression that the Hokage would be this powerful ninja that looked similar to the Kakashi leader, but what he got was someone who looked closer to dying than even Mayu had been. He had been hoping to avoid others like Mayu. How could this dying human be the most powerful? And even though he could feel it all just under the old human's withered skin, power brimming, he couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Not to mention, his over all scent. When the human had said welcome back, he knew it to be true, not because he knew that Fire Country was his, but also because the human Hokage smelled completely familiar. He never forgot a scent; he had been cataloguing them in the back of his mind for as long as he could remember. The scent of the pack, the scent of animals he liked to eat, even before he knew what they were- he even remembered the scent of the human healer they had brought to him when he had suffered through the _change_- even though he had no recollection of it.

And he remembered this human, this scent, a scent that gave no images, but emotions. He felt happy, the scent made him feel good- or was it that this human had made him feel accepted- or safe. Whatever it was, he had known this human once, and his scent had been secretly ingrained within his mind…and it made him happy.

Sunny turned his head away from the others, though he felt the Hokage's eyes on him, and gazed out the window. Then the happy feeling washed straight out of him so fast he almost felt dizzy.

From this height he could see a large rock fissure that seemed to almost over-shadow the village, and there were faces engraved in the stone- four faces- all seeming male- and one looking curiously like the old human sitting at the desk before them. But it was the fourth one that ruined his happy feelings. It was the fourth one that made hate spring up to the back of his throat so that he almost choked on his own rage. He shuddered at his own hate and swallowed it down before he had a fit in front of the Hokage and forced his body still, turning away from the window.

The others had finished their strange 'mission report,' received some strange paper that seemed to please them, and headed for the door.

"Sasuke stop at the hospital and get those burns checked out," the Kakashi leader said before the Sasuke boy could leave, and he watched in amusement as the human boy stiffened, and Natsu turned in startlement towards the Kakashi leader, then whipped around to stare at Sasuke before turning to look at him. Sunny smiled in response, and even allowed some maliciousness to show, and Natsu's mouth turned down in dismay. In response, Sunny shrugged, suddenly feeling bad that Natsu was upset; he actually liked Natsu- Natsu had been pleasant to him, had helped him out greatly.

_You're getting attached again, Sunny, you're about to make the same mistake again._

Kakashi sent him a disapproving look.

"Well, I'll go with him," Natsu said quietly, and Sakura immediately agreed to go with them, but not before she waved at him.

"See you later Sunny!" she called, and he waved back at her . Natsu turned and gave him a small smile, one that said he wasn't mad, and Sunny beamed at him. Then the door shut, and eyes were on him again. Sunny let his smile fade around the edges and turned to the remaining humans in the room.

Perhaps this was truly the beginning.

------------------------------------

He came upon the burnt clearing with a general feeling of distaste in his mouth. Sunny had been here, for how long he did not know- but the connection said that he had at least passed through here.

But Tsorn didn't think that was the case. Sunny must be going human on them- the traitor. They should have eaten him when they had the chance. He glared at the human dwelling in disdain before moving on east.

_Easteasteast_, the connection said. East lay Sunny- east lay retribution.

**TBC**

**There will be a chuunin exam, as I mentioned in the last chapter, but it won't be a play by play of the events, and they will differ from the manga, especially when it comes to Gaara, and perhaps Orochimaru. Sunny/Naruto will not be participant of the exam, but he will be an observer.**

**Some reviewers mentioned that Sunny/Naruto has no friends- and further examination says they are right- he really doesn't. So I'm going to try and give him some without changing his personality- or goals. For now.**

**On a slightly unrelated note- thank you to all the well-wishers who showed concern over my fingers. I had to take a long break from typing to give the tendons some leeway- they feel much better. But that doesn't mean I haven't been writing. I have a one-shot on the way- as well as a few other fanfics hoping to make their debut.**


	14. Full Moon Howling

**Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion**

**READ BOTTOM WHEN FINISHED. VERY INFORMATIVE**

**Chapter Thirteen **

**Part One: **

**Full Moon Howling**

When the others had left, the room became silent, except for the overhead fan that spun and hummed monotonously, spreading warm air throughout the room. Kakashi turned his warm gaze toward the small child, whose deceptive blue eyes were focused on the ceiling fan. He had returned to that unnatural stillness, and the jounin eyed his chest closely, trying to see if he had stopped breathing. But the white shirt obscured his chest movements, and it was hard to tell. Only his eyes moved, as they followed the rectangular planks of wood in their circular movements. There was a slight puzzled look in them, and it was plain that he was curious as to the function of the fan.

"It's to circulate air throughout the room, in an attempt to lower the temperature," he stated; life seemed to return to the boy and he straightened his head to look at the jounin. "Where is your family Sunny?" Kakashi asked, cutting to the chase. He wasn't sure he believed that the boy's family members were dead; actually, he wasn't sure he believed anything the child had said. The boy turned to him and frowned, and he noticed that though the boy looked at him, his eyes were more focused on his nose, than his eye.

"I already told you, they died a year ago." His voice was laced with an unknown emotion, his eyes narrowing slightly. Kakashi glanced at the Hokage, whose eyes were riveted on the youth.

"Where have you been living before your family passed away?" the Hokage asked calmly, though his eyes remained sharp and watchful.

Sunny waved a hand listlessly in the air, as if to wave away the question. "We lived in the forests of…Earth Country- I think it was called." His eyes narrowed again. "It's not important though…"

The Sandaime sighed and leaned back in his chair, taking time to light his pipe. Sunny cocked his head and stared at the wisps of smoke as Kakashi leaned back against the wall, arms folded across his chest, eye unwavering on the youth.

"I know this is a sensitive subject, and I prefer not to ask, but how long ago did your family pass away- and what was the cause?" It was indeed a sensitive question, and by the boy's silence and his narrowed eyes, the question was unwelcome. The child's nostrils flared and his eyes became narrow slits on his face, and for some reason, Kakashi was reminded of a fox. A bad reminder.

"Are you a spy, Sunny? Are you with another village?"

Kakashi blinked along with Sunny, at the question. He had never heard the Hokage so blunt before- but on further reflection, he could understand why. Naruto had been very close to his heart when he was taken. However the suspicious look on Sunny's face had disappeared to be replaced by confusion and curiosity.

"What is a 'spy?' I have never heard that word before." For a second, they could not understand what the boy had said; his accent had become thick and almost guttural, and Kakashi felt a shiver run down his spine at the memory of the encounter over the wolf. It had sounded so unnatural, so angry and deep that it was almost impossible to see it coming out of that small pink mouth, though at the time it was smeared with blood and viscera.

"What is your native language Sunny?" he asked, bracing himself for the reply.

Sunny's head remained toward the Hokage, but his blue eyes swiveled toward him, crystalline, and with a glassy sharp look, as if they were fake, made of some type of glass rather than flesh. His mouth opened, his lips moved, and a cutting sound that was short and clipped, yet hit the ears with a sharp twinge met both of their ears. Both Hokage and Jounin stiffened, it was such a natural reaction, like their basic instincts understood or recognized this language. Perhaps it was the language of the dark, the reason why mankind feared the dark. Those glassy eyes darted between the two of them, as if gauging their reactions, cataloguing them and stuffing them away in the darkest parts of his young mind. Or was that mind young at all? Perhaps this was not Sunny they were talking to, maybe it was the Kyuubi no Kitsune, pretending to be a malicious little boy. That would make sense, as to why he chose Konoha out of all the Hidden Villages to show up at. Revenge. It would be so easy for the boy to worm his way into the Hokage's bleeding heart. So easy…

"Why have you come to Konoha to be a ninja and not…say…Hidden Grass? It is to my understanding that you were closer there than you were here," Kakashi questioned, eye focused on the smallest of reaction, though at this point he'd seen statues with more expression. The boy was so still!

"Hidden Leaf…it seemed like the right place to be…" the boy said hesitantly, and he actually took on a mystified expression, as if he too were puzzled about his reasons. "It feels… like I have come home after a long journey…" A shadow passed over his ethereal features, something ancient.

The Sandaime rubbed his wrinkled face and gazed silently at the youth, whose attention had reverted back to the window. He had not been expecting this, had never dreamed that Sunny- no _Naruto_ would return to him. When they had found the body of the traitorous chuunin, or the pieces of him, he was sure his heart had died that day. It had taken all he had to not break down in front of his subordinates, though he had heard a few sighs of grief, and a few shaking shoulders. He had returned to his tower- to Naruto's room, full of baby furniture and toys, and had wept, a picture of the bouncing baby boy in his hands. If he had known Naruto was to be taken from him that day, he would have hugged him harder, tucked him in and stayed at his bedside longer. He would have done many things differently.

His eyes fell on the boy, and he could see Naruto in them, though the eyes seemed a bit stranger in color, he was still in there somewhere, it was as clear as the fact that he had returned to Konoha, though he had a variety of choices to chose. Very few villages were lucky enough to have a sane jinchuuriki in their hands. But he was not a fool; he knew that whoever had raised the youth had a great hand in molding the mysterious mind, if he _had_ been raised by anyone. There was the possibility that this was the Kyuubi. It could so easily be a truth. It was best that he kept Naruto close to him, so he could watch him…perhaps put him in the guest room…which used to be Naruto's baby room. It had once been an office of the Fourth's- mostly used for storage of paper work and other things the young Yondaime had tossed aside. When Naruto had come into his care, he had changed that room into Naruto's so that he could be on the job and have Naruto nearby.

"Well then," he said, standing up and moving from behind the desk. "Welcome home Sunny. There is a room next door that has been vacant for some time, and I'm sure we can work some thing out for you." The child followed him as he headed for the door. He caught Kakashi's eye, there was undoubtedly a strained expression on his masked face. He gave the jounin a small nod, a signal that the man should remain after this was all settled. He opened the door to the office/guest room and coughed as a wave of dust assaulted him. He waved a hand in front of his face and walked into the room and glanced around with a small sigh. The room was empty.

"Well, I'm sure I can get a bed and a few necessities in here by tonight." He turned to Sunny smiling, the boy was walking around the room, then stood at the window and peered out at the village again. "I'm sure you must be tired from the journey."

The child continued to gaze out the window, but his accented voice floated over to him. "Does this mean I will be allowed to become a shinobi?"

Sarutobi nodded. "Yes, I'm sure I will be able to provide you with a sensei." Ebisu's face flashed through his mind. Tomorrow he would talk to the man and see if he was willing to take on another pupil, well aware that Konohamaru was a handful all on his own. "In the meantime, would you like something to eat?"

The youth turned from the window and looked at him, a curious look, so unreadable, but he shook his head and returned to the window. Clearly he wanted to explore the village.

"Sunny, why don't you go out and explore the village, I am sure there is much to see."

The boy turned to him, a pleased and excited expression gracing his face, and he all but hopped toward the door, heading back into the Hokage's main office. As he passed Kakashi, the bounce left his body and he literally circled around the jounin to reach the door, as if he didn't want to get too close to him. The boy looked up at the jounin out of the corner of his eyes, and as he saw the jounin's gaze upon him, he quickly averted his eyes and exited the room. Sandaime sat down at his desk and surveyed the jounin for a moment, taking in the tension that seemed to bundle around his shoulders.

"Tell me how this came to pass," he said as he tapped his pipe, and touched the intercom, ordering an Anbu to follow the youth. Kakashi straightened from where he was leaning against the wall and fixed his eye on his Hokage.

In the next moment, he became privy to all the facts, from fleeing animals, to the chilling skirmish between the Uchiha and Sunny, and to Kakashi's theory that Sunny ate humans, a thought that made his stomach drop and his blood to run cold.

"Make no mistake Hokage-sama, this boy has little humanity left. We have no clue who, or what for that matter, has shaped his mind. He can either be our greatest asset, or worst enemy. We'll have to tread carefully with this one. He's dangerous in ways we can't even imagine."

The Hokage sat in his seat, mulling over the jounin's words, words that he had already thought.

"Hokage-sama," the intercom crackled, and he was pulled away from his dark thoughts.

"Yes Yuzuru?"

"The Kazekage from Sunagakure had arrived, sir."

"Thank you," the aged man said with a sigh, and got to his feet. "And so it all begins. Orochimaru seems active, and I invite foreigners into my beloved village. How will this all end?"

Kakashi stared at the man, so old and yet able to bare such responsibility.

"By the way Kakashi, will you be entering your students into the Exams?"

Kakashi bowed. "Yes…I believe they are ready…"

----------------------------------

It was curious, he supposed. He had hated the last human village, and it had been even smaller than this one. Once again he had to stop and breathe slowly. All of his life, the scent of the forest had been his constant companion. Earth, wood, vegetation, and the animals that occupied it. But the humans created smells that were not even their own! As he moved amongst the flow of scented humans, some smelling of sweat, others of their strangely burned food, and occasionally, and he noticed it was mostly females, the smell of flowers or fruit. He liked that, females always smelled closer to the earth, and it made him reminiscent of times when he and the pack had dined on a few human females in the comfort of their own territory. The village was even noisier than the last one, livelier, smokier. And it was his. He felt a sense of disdain, as if once this area had not been like this, perhaps there were more trees, and he was sure there had been, especially since the village was surrounded by forests. And there was the cliff, with the faces, and he didn't like them because it seemed as if they were watching him. How had they gotten there?

Suddenly his ears were bombarded by the warning cries of animals, and he looked to see a gate barring a large human dwelling. There were dogs at the gate, barking at him, frothing at the mouth, then running from the gate towards the dwelling, only to run back and continue barking. They were rather large, and looked well fed; hunger returned to him, as well as his temper.

\Silence!/ he hissed in demon-tongue, but the dogs only retreated, continuing their mad barking. Sunny moved pass the dwelling, eyes purple and narrowed, hearing the answering call of humans. They had alerted their masters. He continued to walk on, not bothering to glance back, though he could feel the eyes of the humans on his back.

He passed by a strange building, recognized the word 'Academy' only because Natsu had referred to it so many times, and headed toward the compound. He could hear the sounds of many humans, all seeming young judging by the high pitched voices, and rounded the side of a dwelling and coming upon a field where many human youngling were standing, throwing kunai at wooden circles. He leaned against the wall and watched as they chattered, reminding him of squirrels with their noise, and watched them toss the kunai. Some hit the wooden squares while others missed. Standing amongst them were older humans, directing them, tossing kunai to show them how it was done. He noticed there were more younglings than adults, so much more, in fact, that if one went missing, it could be some time before they were missed.

Sunny eyed a particular human male youngling, smaller than him, but had a carriage that said he knew what he was about. He tossed the kunai, and it landed perfectly in the middle of the wooden circle; the females squealed in admiration, he smiled charmingly at them. Sunny lifted his head and sniffed the air, moving through scents so he could catch the boy's and-

That's when he smelled it, a scent, and a familiar one, because he had smelled it back when he left the Hokage's Tower. Sunny pushed himself from the wall and took a step forward so that the dwelling wasn't blocking the wind, and… there it was. The acrid scent of soap mixed with stale blood that had lingered, and the scent of human…male, from what he could tell. He did not look about; in fact he kept his gaze on the human younglings. But he felt annoyed. There was a human following him.

_But let's test this theory_, he thought and wandered away from the academy. He coasted down several pathways, mingling amongst the humans, giving curious looks as much as he had received them. He stopped to stare at several humans making music- that lovely collection of sound that was apparently created by several objects that the humans blew into, plucked at or hit rhythmically. It was a wonder, and he was pleased to stand there watching and listening to them play. It was probably the only pleasant sound humans made…besides screaming. Humans screamed like no other.

When the performance was finished, he lifted his head, sniffed, and sure enough, it was there. He was apparently upwind from the human. Why was he being followed? Had the Kakashi leader sent this human after him? Or perhaps the Hokage?

Sunny turned away from the humans and made to walk away when his body stiffened, eyes bled to red, and he swiveled around, blood rushing through his veins. His hearing expanded, his skin vibrated at the touch of the wind, and an alarm was going through his head. And then he knew, as cloaked and concealed as it was, it could not hide from him while in his territory.

There was a demon in his territory.

He should be excited. He was not alone-the last demon he had encountered was in the sea of grass. He yearned to be with his kind and yet- there was a rage in him. Another demon had entered his territory without permission- without homage! This had never been a problem with the pack; Krik was lord over the forests of Earth Country, and there were so few demon-kind, that most land went unclaimed. But he clearly had claim on Fire Country!

Sunny spun on his heel and stalked down the pathways, rage building in him, color distorting until he could only see reds, yellows, and orange. He barely noticed that humans were quickly moving out of his way, and that the human who had been following was speeding up. He could only think of guarding what was his, making his opponent cower before him. Strange feelings…strange emotions. He rounded onto another pathway and stopped. Familiar scents, familiar voices, and the rage leaked out of him, enough so that he could see, and most importantly think.

Natsu, Sasuke boy, and Sakura, stood next to a smaller dark haired human, all seeming cleaned up and refreshed. Sasuke boy's wounds seemed to be healed as well. Opposite of them were two humans, one a blond female, the other in clothing and markings so bizarre he could not exactly say what was wrong with the human. But it was the third, the demon that took up his vision. Green eyes stared wide-eyed at him. This one was tricky, obviously hiding his form in the guise of a human. But he was demon-kind, and had clearly trespassed.

He stepped forward and disregarding the humans about, addressed the trespasser in demon-tongue.

\Who are you that you come into my lands without homage? Do you think me a weakling?/ he demanded.

The humans gasped and backed away, the demon stared at him, eyes wide and shocked. He waited impatiently for the reply, but the demon seemed too stunned to say anything to him. He took him in, glancing at the red hair, the large object strapped to his back, the strange marking on his forehead, and the heavy bags around his eyes, a sign he'd seen in humans as fatigue, and exhaustion…a lack of sleep.

Sleep? Demons did not sleep. Was this a part of the disguise? Sunny sniffed his scent, taking in the scent of earth, lots of earth, stale blood, demon, and under all that…human…

He was more puzzled.

\Why do you not answer me? Do you continue to insult me in my own lands?!/

"Who are you?" the demon asked, and Sunny literally reared back in shock. Not only did the demon speak to him in the human tongue, but perfectly, as if it was the only tongue he spoke! This was not going well. The human female stepped forward, and Sunny noticed she carried a large strange object on her back.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "What village are you from?" she took in his clothing and noticed he had no hitai-ate; his clothing said nothing about him either.

The violent red eyes darted to her and Sunny snarled in barely controlled human-tongue, "Be silent or I will eat out your throat and shut you up for good you worthless, insignificant, bug."

The bizarrely dressed human boy near her gasped and took a step forward, a look of rage on his face, but by then the demon had regained his bearing and said in a dark tone, "Kankuro, say a word and I will kill you," and there was such menace in his voice that Sunny couldn't help but be pleased, that is until he felt the _source_, and noticed the sand stirring around the demon's feet. Sunny's eyes narrowed, and he eyed the demon closely. He wore many of the things Sunny had seen human ninja wear, and he had one of those head bands, though it was around his leg. Had this demon done what he was doing? Had it gone into the human world and learned to use the s- chakra? Maybe he wanted to continue to pretend?

\Very well then,/ Sunny said, making up his mind and ignoring the humans, though he noticed team seven off to the side, watching him guardedly. \You will meet me…near the Academy…we will talk of this. You will bring homage to me, or we will fight to the death, and I refuse to lose. This is _my _territory/. Without waiting for a reply, he turned from the demon and stalked from the scene, glancing at Natsu as he passed. The human had a frown on his face, but when their eyes connected, Natsu gave a weak smile- the effort softened him, and Sunny let his eyes bleed back to blue; he smiled warmly at the other, lifting a hand in greeting before continuing on.

He had to get to the Hokage, so he could learn a few jutsu's before his meeting tonight. If this came to blows, he wanted to be the victor. Sunny glanced at the sky and stopped in surprise.

It was a full moon tonight!

He grinned, pleased, and ran down the pathways, only vaguely caring that the human was still following him. He'd deal with that later.

-

Returning to the Tower was an ordeal in itself- humans were staring at him, some even had the gall to whisper, which was pointless since he could hear them quite well. Questions like, "is that him?" and "He is so beautiful," passed through the air, and he resisted the urge to scowl. He was a demon on a mission: protect his territory from the sand demon.

He followed the vaguely familiar pathways toward the room the Hokage had given him, and as he opened the door, he glanced behind him and noticed there was a human standing at the end of the hall behind him, a human garbed in black with a mask over its face, white, with markings- animal-like, though he did not know which one. He could sense its eyes on him, and returned the stare, curious at to whom this was. He sniffed the air, and classified it as female, a curious notion, for she too smelled of blood. Was she following him too? How many followed him? Sunny's eyes narrowed and he entered his room and shut the door. There was a bed and a table now in the room- and nothing else.

Sunny sat down on the bed, relaxed his body as if he were going into _resting_, and waited. This was familiar to him, waiting. He'd done a lot of that.

---------------------

An hour before sunset, the Hokage knocked on his door and entered after a second. Sunny pulled himself out of his self-induced stupor and smiled up at the dying human. He didn't know why he always felt happy when he saw the man; it was an unsettling emotion, and very annoying as well. In the human's hands were several small pieces of paper and larger ones that were rolled up. He set the papers on the table, then pulled out small square ones from his pocket. He stepped up to Sunny, who decided to gather himself to his feet.

"These are your baby pictures," the Hokage said, his voice gentle. "I had taken so many of them before your…departure." He handed the baby pictures to Sunny, who took them, then stared at them. The first one was an image of the dying human, though he looked younger, and was undoubtedly holding a small round human youngling on his lap. The human had blond hair, twinkling blue eyes, and a toothless mouth. He saw himself in the youngling. Sunny let the picture fall to the floor, and another took its place. Here he was crawling on the floor, reaching up for the leg of a chair. There were many others, pictures of him laughing, sleeping, and eating wretched human food. Sometimes he was alone in the picture, other times he was with the Hokage, or some nameless human female. There always a grin on his face…he had seemed so happy… He couldn't remember the last time he had been that happy- not since the pack had died anyway…

But what did this all mean? Why had he been with humans? Why did he seem so human in these pictures? What_ had_ he been before the _change_? The pack had never been forthcoming about his origins beyond the fact that they had found him within the custody of a human. He had always imagined that he had been kidnapped, or that his blood pack had been annihilated and a human had picked him up, mistaking him for one of their kind. But this…this said something else entirely. He dropped the rest of the pictures on the floor and let his eyes roam to the papers on the table. All the while, the Hokage had been silent, studying his actions, perhaps thinking he was going to have some type of epiphany after seeing the pictures. If he had, he showed no emotion to it, and he promptly turned to the table.

"I brought you some basic jutsu's the young academy students learn, and I have asked one of my trusted men to take you on as a student. I would teach you myself, but as Hokage, my time is taken up by the duties of this village. The time when I had taken on students has long passed. You can look them over now, but I suggest you wait until your new sensei comes for you tomorrow."

At the word 'sensei', Sunny looked up sharply from the scrolls. "Sensei? What of Kakashi leader?"

The Hokage raised an eyebrow at Sunny's question.

"Do you _like_ Kakashi, Naruto?"

The boy averted his eyes and stared down at the scroll he was unrolling. It wasn't that he disliked the Kakashi leader, as much as it was hard to swallow that the human was superior to him, something he could not deny. Kakashi leader was dangerous, and he sensed many like him in this village…in his territory. He saw the Hokage's hand move to his heavy sleeves, and he pulled out a book. Sunny's nostrils flared at the scent of uneasiness that was coming off the dying human in waves and took the book when the Hokage held it out to him. But the human didn't let go of the book, and Sunny was forced to look up at him.

"This is a book on the history of Konoha so far- not very long, but very informative. This is also a book given to the academy students. If you have any questions, _any_ at all, I stress that you come to me _immediately_." He let go of the book and patted his head gently. It seemed like an entirely familiar move, and it even made him smile charmingly up at the human, which seemed to please him very much. He again asked Sunny if he was hungry, which he said no to; he did not want to shovel human food down his throat, unless it was the human itself. The Hokage seemed disturbed by this, but he let it go, and bade him good evening.

When the Hokage had departed, Sunny poured over the scrolls, but was puzzle at what the scrolls wanted him to do. Strange instructions that had to do with horses…and monkeys… They all seemed to be under the impression that he understood everything they said. He had been speaking human tongue for only a short time; Team Seven was the first time he had really used the language. Though he had been taught by Mayu, he hadn't spoken to her much. He could read human, but he could not comprehend more than half the words. Humans had too many things in their lives, too many names, too many everything. By then he was completely frustrated, because he knew the sand demon knew all about these things, and had an upper hand on him. He resisted the urge to pound the table. Instead he sat by the window and eyed the rising full moon. Already he could feel its pull, and the urge to sing was heavy within him. But tonight was not for singing. Tonight was for dominating, tonight was for claiming what was his and not letting another steal it from him.

Fire Country was _his_ and his alone.

Sunny glanced from the window, saw that the pictures still remained on the floor, and shuddered. He was so confused. He wished that Krik and Tkaa were here, they always had answers, always knew what was going on. He cocked his ears toward his door, and could hear the masked human still at the end of the hall, silent yet breathing in a very relaxed manner. He rubbed his face roughly and opened the window slowly, hearing all the small scrapes that his superior ears could hear but was sure that the humans couldn't. When it was fully open, he reached out, grabbed the sides and eyed the large dwelling opposite of him. The Hokage's Tower was the tallest dwelling in the village, and was surrounded by smaller, yet tall buildings as well. He was a ways from the Academy, but was sure he could make it there in a mere few minutes. Sunny let his eyes bleed to red as he pulled back from the window, letting his arm muscles stretch and go taut as they still gripped the sides of the window. He then let his arms snap him forward, his feet found the window sill, and the deceptive muscles in his legs brunched and launched him forward, and he soared from the tower window.

As he flew from the tower, he realized he had put too much force into the push, and was sure he would go right over the dwelling he had been aiming for. But there was another dwelling behind it that seemed three windows taller, and he shifted so that he landed sideways on it, allowing a trickle of chakra to stick him to the surface just like Krik had taught him. The full moon glowed above him in the silent village, and the thought of the pack brought a wail from his throat, a long haunting keen that silenced the crickets and startled the surrounding humans awake, made the dogs shudder. He could hear them now, younglings jumping out of their beds and running to their parents, and vice versa. Sunny growled deeply and launched himself from the side of the dwelling, darting from dwelling to dwelling to his rendezvous point.

And answering howl came to him, and Sunny stopped on a building and lifted his head north. The howl said acceptance, excitement, anticipation. It had been long since someone of his kind had sung with him. Sunny lifted his head and wailed again, dropping undertones that humans wouldn't pick up but animals would, and it sent the animals of Fire Country wild. But he was pleased, though he had made a spectacle when he had been meaning for secrecy, because at the same time the sand demon howled with him, seeming as pleased as he. Lights in human dwelling turned on, he spotted several human shinobi jump onto their roofs, and he quickly dropped to the ground and out of sight, heading for the Academy in the shadows, heart pounding and blood pumping under the rays of the moon.

He felt so alive.

------------------------------------

Gaara was nervous. _Nervous. _He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this emotion. It _frightened_ him, and that alone caused him to pace in agitation around the hotel room, sand swishing at his feet. Temari and Kankuro had fled his presence, though Temari had stopped to remind him not to do anything foolish to ruin the plan. He did not care for the plan, and had told her so before ordering her from his presence. They had earlier asked him about the blond that had made those frightening noises- they had no clue that the _other_ had been speaking to him. Another Demon. Someone like him, or even more, because this creature had shut Shukaku up the moment he had entered Fire Country territory. Had _Mother_ already known what dwelled here? He could not recall the last time _Mother_ had been so silent. It chilled him to the core.

Homage? What was the _other_ demanding? What was that strange language he spoke that he for some reason could understand but not speak? Gaara stopped at his window and glanced at the full moon. Shukaku usually made a racket in his mind on full moons, but his head was so empty tonight. He was supposed to meet the _other_ near Konoha's Ninja Academy, which was a risky place to be, seeing that he was a shinobi of Suna. But the _other_ had demanded he come, there was a sense of death about him, and Gaara knew he didn't want to fight with the _other. _He wanted to know what the demon knew, what knowledge lay behind those crimson eyes. He wanted to know how he dealt with existing among people who hated and feared him, though he had seen that one named Natsu wave at him in a friendly way. _Was_ the _other_ hated here? He had to know.

Gaara opened the window, prepared to leave, when Shukaku's whiny voice roared into his head.

HOMAGE! GIVE HOMAGE OR WE WILL PERISH!

Gaara cried out in pain and grabbed his head.

"_What, Mother. _What do I give?" he head pounded in pain.

GIVE HOMAGE. GIVE FLESH.

Gaara dropped to the streets of Konoha, and startled a cat scrounging in the trash bins. Gaara's sand shot forward and snatched the cat up. He grabbed the screeching animal and hit it over the head, for some reason wanting to keep it alive. Shukaku gave an appreciative murmur when it was cut off by a keening wail that washed over him and sent Shukaku to the forefront of his mind. There were no words to the wail, but he got a sense of sadness, and deep anger, but most importantly, a promise of pain- or perhaps death. Whatever it was, it came from the _other_, and this excited him in ways that killing didn't.

Was this the end of his solitude? And why did he feel like he could expect something from this stranger. He couldn't stop the howl that came from his mouth, as Shukaku rose out of him; he could feel the sand on his face crack, a pain seize his throat, and the deep melancholic call that came from his throat startled -yet excited him. He had never howled before, something like that would have caused trouble in Suna, and rejoiced in the feeling. When the wail returned to him, so more complex than the first one, he joined in, mixing his with the _others_', and almost laughed when the inhabitants of Konoha began to move about in fear and alarm. Intoxicating.

Still holding the cat, Gaara slipped into the alley way and headed toward the Ninja academy, grinning maniacally all the while. He couldn't _ever_ recall feeling this good.

---------------------------------------------

Tsorn tossed the doe into the tall grass and waited for the other demon to approach. The moment he had arrived he knew that this territory was claimed and had easily snagged as offering to appease the lord of the grasslands. A blue flame approached, and Tsorn watched warily as the blue flame flashed and formed an indigo wolf, with black eyes darker than the night skies. The demon wolf approached the doe, sniffed it, then lifted its large head and fixed its dark gaze upon him.

\Your youngling gave me a much better offering when he passed through here,/ the demon said in his mind and continued to fix Tsorn with its gaze.

\Is that so? I happen to be looking for the wayward member of my pack. Perhaps you can tell me of his passing, and if he was alone?/

The demon grabbed the doe by the neck and began to walk slowly into the thick grass, and his voice drifted through Tsorn's head like cool water from a spring on a moonlit night. \He came through here, we shared a human together. He had gone east to Fire Country to avenge his pack/.

Tsorn stopped, drinking in the words and feeling numb with shock.

\What?/

The demon dropped the doe and turned his head to regard Tsorn over a blue furred shoulder.

\The _Master_ was filled with much hate for the humans. He plans to harness the_ source_ by way of the humans, then destroy them/.

\But that would surely get him killed!/ Tsorn cried, appalled at the sheer stupidity of the demonling.

\Perhaps,/ the demon wolf whispered, \but grief tends to swallow reason/.

Tsorn stood frozen in the grass, blinking his luminous yellow eyes in disbelief. Grief? Had Sun been that upset by their destruction? Tsorn blinked down at the grass. Of course he would…barely more than a generation old- the pack was all he knew.

\I suppose you'll be retrieving him then?/ the blue demon wolf asked, still watching him. \Being the leader of your pack now, it is your duty to take care of your own./

Tsorn's head darted up, and he stifled a gasp. Well that was certainly true. If only Krik had died, then Tkaa would have taken his place. But since Tkaa was dead too, that left only him. He was the leader now and it _was _his job to take care of Sun.

\Yesyes,/ he breathed quickly, \It is my job to take care of Sun. East you say?/ he made to head forward but the wolf had a strange air about him.

\Why not stop and dine with me. I have a sense that I should join you on this journey, for it has been long since I have left my lands. Humans are tricky and dangerous…you will need my advice/.

Tsorn stared at the demon wolf. This demon was way older than he, so much older than any of them; perhaps he had existed through many millennia and was no longer interested in gaining power? This one did remind him of Tkaa… Tsorn nodded in acceptance and watched as the demon wolf's lips pulled back in a grin, baring onyx colored teeth.

\Very good. I am Dyadem of the Grasslands/.

-------------------------------------

**TBC**

**What Sunny/Naruto said when they asked him language he spoke was, Demontongue**

**I know I tend to bring up things out of the blue, but bear with me. Gaara may be out of character to some, but I'm trying not to.**

**I was asked why Sunny/Naruto does not know Tsorn is alive. Tsorn is not related to Sunny/Naruto, and though they did share blood, it was so new, and they died so quickly, they Sunny/Naruto doesn't even realize it's there. Age and experience allows Tsorn to look for all the right things, and feel the connection.**

**I'm sure no one saw the return of Dyadem. All the demons have strange names because I feel their names shouldn't be too human. Dyadem is **_**very**_** powerful.**

**Team Seven will not disappear from the story- the rest of the teams will be introduced within time. Orochimaru will play his part as well.**


	15. Snake in the Tower

Disclaimer: Daystar Clarion does not own Naruto

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Snake in the Tower**

By the time Gaara arrived at the Ninja Academy he was shaking visibly, sand rustling at his feet as he took a step toward the school. He could feel the _other_; he was an oppressive presence, like he was stealing the very air that he was breathing. Gaara halted before the Academy and stood silently under the rays of the moon. Shadows had gathered in corners here and there, yet there was no sign of the _other_ beyond his overall presence.

Gaara quickly moved into the shadows as he sensed Leaf Nin and watched as the agitated shinobi stopped in and stood, trying to hear or see the objects of their unease.

"What the hell do you think that was?" one shinobi, looking in his mid-thirties murmured to his partner. The other shinobi shrugged and narrowed his eyes into the shadows. Gaara remained still, watching them; he could feel the ache in his head, usually it was Shukaku urging him to kill. But this time, the urgency was of a different kind; Mother was nervous, anxious…

When the shinobi left the area, he slunk around the side of the building, following the oppressive feeling until it brought him to the back of the Academy, where training took place. The area was made up of small rolling hills that joined to a copse of trees. On one hill was the _other_, seeming to glow in the moonlight, for all that his hair was like a silken halo. He stood with his back to him, head angled up to the swollen moon, unmoving except for his hair. Gaara understood the lure of the moon, how it somehow made his blood sing, and yet made Mother more agitated. His headaches were worse on those days, and he was always in a bad mood because of it.

The head turned suddenly, and two blue glowing orbs assailed him, washed through him- they almost felt tangible. The cat hissed and spit as he walked over each hill, towards the _other_, all the while feeling those appraising eyes on him. The wind blew against his face, and the strange scent of peppermint and something he couldn't identify assailed his nose. Then he was standing before the _other_ who had turned around completely to face him.

Gaara stared coldly at him, taking in things he had missed the first time. There were feathers littered in his hair, as if they had sprouted from his head. There were earrings dangling from his ears, and his clothing was the same as earlier, white short sleeved shirt and brown pants rolled up just below his knees. There were anklets on both his ankles as well. His eyes returned to the face and he noticed that the eyes were back to red; they glowed with an inner fire that he had never seen on any humans.

Gaara lifted the growling cat, and the other's eyes fell on the terrified animal. Already he knew that this offering was not enough- perhaps he should have brought a larger animal- or a human for that matter. The other's hand snapped out, however, and snatched the feline from his grasp. The cat howled, and Gaara watched in fascination as the other deftly twisted its' head, snapping its neck completely, then pulled the head from the body. Then he tore the skin from the body and dug into the meat of the animal. All this was done with such practice ease, and Gaara watched as the other began to devour the carcass. There was the crunch of bone, the steady drip of blood, a rather pleasant sound in his opinion, and Mother seemed to relax a bit. Apparently the offer hand been accepted.

The other's mouth was smeared with blood, as well as his hands He tossed aside the remains of the body and held something small in his hands, running it through his fingers, head bent toward it in some type of silent contemplation. It was the cat's heart.

\I would have preferred you bring me a human, a ninja, so that I could eat its brains,/ his voice came from the bloody lips, a sinister sound. He tilted his head back and lifted the heart in the air, and dropped it into his open mouth. It was so strange that he could understand this bizarre language- yet not speak it- for it sounded almost impossible to repeat

"I am Sabaku Gaara...Of the Sand." He said eyeing the other, whose eyes had narrowed to the point where they almost seemed closed, except that two small slivers of glowing red light peeked through them.

\I'm Sunny of Fire Country. This is my _territory_. Why are you here? Why do you only speak the tongue of humans? Where is your pride?/

"Pride?" Gaara retorted, feeling angry for some reason. Perhaps it was the tone of voice this person talked to him in; very few people had dared to lecture him in such a way. Even Baki made things a suggestion and not and order. "Pride for what?"

Sunny's nostrils flared. \Pride as a _demon_!/

Demon. Monster. All the words that had tormented him as a child. There was supposed to be pride somewhere along the isolation, the madness? Instead of replying, he studied this Sunny. There was otherworldliness about him, an alien mind, apparently, and it hit him that Sunny had not grown up around people. Had he lived with monsters, demons, creatures that did not fear him? He obviously didn't fear _him_.

Was Sunny a jinchuuriki like him? Gaara had never met one of the others- were they all like Sunny?

"I'm a jinchuuriki," Gaara stated flatly. "We apparently have no pride."

Sunny blinked at him, and his face twisted in confusion.

\What is that? I have never heard of such thing as a jin-/ he stumbled over the word, which seemed to frustrate him more.

"We are humans with demons sealed inside of us."

Sunny seemed to straighten up suddenly, eyes opening completely, focused solely on him.

\Sealed inside? Where?/ and his eyes roved over Gaara's body as if looking for the site of concealment. Gaara's eyes narrowed. There was a predatory look in Sunny's eyes. Suddenly Gaara wanted this person to suffer. While he had been tortured by the villagers, an outcast, the village pariah, this person, this demon, was talking of pride, and demanding things of him. _No one_ demanded things from him!

"You are a jinchuuriki too."

The eyes narrowed again, nostrils flared.

\No, I'm not of your kind, inferior creatures. Pathetic little humans…/ he hissed and his hand shot out toward Gaara's face. The sand jumped up and blocked the attack, but it had barely done so, for Sunny's sharp fingers had penetrated through the sand- even as they were stopped. Gaara stared wide-eyed. No one had ever gotten this close before.

Sunny pulled his hand away, drawing sand with his fingers. Bringing the sand to his face, he breathed it in, seemed to run the grains through his fingers like the cats heart, before turning to eye him.

\I want to know what you know. I want to be more powerful./ He gestured towards the village in whole. \I want to know what the ninja know./

"And in exchange?"

Sunny's eyes darted to the left- there was a pop, burst of chakra and a human ninja, looking to be a chuunin by his pathetic chakra level, appeared next to them.

"Hey. Who are you g-''

It happened so quickly that the chuunin had no time to scream, for as quickly as he appeared, he disappeared. Large red chakra hands burst from the ground, grabbed him around the waist and pulled him into the earth, a puff of dust and dirt rising from the place where he had stood. When it cleared, there was nothing more than a hole. Sunny remained, an immobile force, staring thoughtfully at the hole. Then he seemed to shake himself into existence and moved to the hole. He proceeded to push disturbed dirt into the hole with one foot until it was covered then began to stomp on it in an almost rhythmic manner, a grin appearing on his ethereal face.

\And in exchange,/ he said as he lifted his head and bore crimson eyes into him, \I will show you everything I know./ He bared pointed teeth at the sand-nin then swiveled his head toward the surrounding forests. \Do you know what the forest looks like under a full moon?/ he whispered.

Gaara turned and stared at the dark mass of trees that hovered near Konoha's walls just as Sunny launched himself atop the academy building and sped toward the forest. Gaara glanced up at the glowing moon before he followed Sunny into the forest, scaling the wall quickly, making sure that none of the Leaf nins had spotted him. Sunny had already made it into the forest and Gaara watched in silent awe as Sunny flowed through the trees, dropping, swinging, soaring, and climbing through them. He never moved in a straight line, but weaved through the trees without pattern. Occasionally strange sounds would come from him, deep and heavy at one point, then high and trill like a bird. And to his surprise, these sounds had meaning, in some way translating into words. The deep ones somehow meant that Sunny was being territorial about the forest, while the high warbles meant he was excited and playful.

At this, Sunny spun in mid leap and grabbed a sturdy branch, hung there with one arm, legs drawn up to cross them as if he were sitting on air. It was a show of strength, for his arm showed no muscle strain, and on closer inspection it could be seen that Sunny didn't have much in muscle mass at all. Gaara stopped on a separate branch and eyed the other youth warily. His eyes kept shifting between blue and red, sometimes stopping completely on purple. There was a long maniacal grin on his face, and a strange clicking sound was vibrating from his throat. It was clear, that Sunny wanted to play.

_No one_, had ever wanted to play with him, all playing stopped when Gaara comes around, so he wasn't sure what playing entailed. How does one play?

His gourd popped open on its own accord and a trickle of sand began to pour out along the branch. Sunny's eyes became a brilliant red, the vertical pupils surrounded by a vivid orange ring, and he bared sharp dagger-like teeth at the Sand-nin. High trills were raining from his throat and his skin seemed to tremble with excitement.

\I smell human blood,/ he giggled; Gaara grinned, bloodlust beginning to cloud his mind as a decent amount of sand stopped trickling from his gourd. The sand hung on the branch, then shot out at Sunny, who was off in a flash, letting go of the branch, dropping to a lower one and launching off deeper into the forest as if he had springs under his feet. There was no chakra involved in any of his movements. The sand shot after him, and with it Gaara. Shukaku seemed to surge through his veins; the sand that crashed through the branches took on an extra burst of speed catching up to the blond demon and managed to engulf his left foot. Sunny yelped and crashed into a few branches, strange animalistic grunts escaping his mouth.

"Sabaku SouSou," Gaara whispered; the sand crushed Sunny's foot, and listened in pleasure as the other keened in pain. Sunny launched himself away with one leg, pulling himself forcefully from the grip of the sand, landing in another tree, with the damaged foot hanging. The flesh on the foot had been stripped away, the bones crushed. Sunny glanced down and gave a strange warble, though his face did not seem as pained as one normally would be if their foot had been brutally crushed. Even in the dark, with patches of moonlight as his only source, Gaara could sense that Sunny's blood was not like a humans'. It didn't even have that coppery scent he was so fond of. It smelled acidic, acrid; Gaara half expected the drops to sizzle the branches. And even as he watched, the bones that had been crushed shifted and crunched back into place, small embedded grains of sand were forced out, and skin returned until the foot was whole.

Sunny flexed the foot and made a pleased hiss, his red eyes falling on the sand jinchuuriki. He bared his teeth in a maniacal way, and Gaara could see that his teeth were even sharper than before, the canines longer. There were whisker marks on his cheeks, ones he had barely noticed before.

Sunny leaped toward him, so quickly that his sand was once again almost too late in defending him. Sunny twisted and hung upside-down on the branch above him. Gaara turned to direct his sand after the other when something warm and wet trailed into his left eye. Gaara grunted and wiped the eye, his hand coming away with blood. A stinging sensation exploded from his forehead above his left brow and felt shock descend upon him.

He was _bleeding_. This was _his_ blood. Gaara stared at the smear in disbelief, unaware that Sunny ran a few fingers over the cut.

"I'm bleeding," he whispered in shock; Shukaku seemed silenced within him.

\Yes,/ Sunny replied above him, drawing Gaara's attention away from his hand. Sunny had his blood on his fingers which he stuck in his mouth and sucked. \It tastes so human…/ he murmured. He then grabbed Gaara's right hand, and with his other he ran a sharp nail along his neck. The skin split, and he quickly angled it so that the hot blood trickled into Gaara's waiting palm. When he lifted his head, the wound was gone. \Go on,/ he ushered, pushing the palm toward his mouth. Gaara jerked his head back in avoidance and glared as Sunny hissed in irritation. \Hurry up now! Drink./

Gaara brought his palm to his mouth and slurped the blood down. It burned. He choked as it slid down his throat and pooled angrily in his stomach. No, it did not taste like human blood. It had been almost a shade darker that red- so deep it was almost black.

\There,/ Sunny was saying. \_Now_ you are welcome in Fire Country. Enjoy,/ he said with a grin and swung upright and high up into the tree, singing a haunting melody as he went. Gaara stared, the blood bubbling in his stomach yet feeling quite numb. Two things had happened to him this night that hadn't in years.

One, he was wounded.

Two, he had been touched willingly.

--------------------------------

Sunny returned to the Tower before the sun managed to peek above the horizon, climbing up the side of the Tower to his window. The ninja had stopped looking for the cause of the disturbance hours ago- though on reflection he was unsure if it had been wise to kill the human- albeit it made him feel so good. And yet, even though he had danced and sung in the pockets of moonlight that broke through the leaves, he had still felt a feeling of uneasiness.

Jinchuuriki.

He did not like that word. And when he and Gaara had parted ways, he had been quick to return to the Tower, quick to see what was in that book that made the Hokage nervous, that made _him_ nervous.

As he slipped through the window he was aware that he was dirty, and cleansing was in order. Putting on his white shirt that Natsu had given him, Sunny opened the door and stopped, staring down at the masked human at the end of the hall. It wasn't the female from before, nor was it the one that had followed him in the village. His eyes ran over the mask as he took in the human male's scent. Blood, old and faint, mixed with some type of cleaning chemical that was a bit unforgiving on the nose. Of course, the usual warm musky scent of human, and-fear? At the same time the masked human shivered and twitched, something drifted off of him, a feeling predatory and cold. Sunny's eyes narrowed in response and he lifted his head to breathe it in. The human had an intent to kill. By why?

Sunny turned to the door where humans liked to wash and create waste and disappeared into the small cold room. He flicked the strange little knob that turned on the lights and jumped in startlement, baring his teeth and hissing when he was confronted by his own reflection. He shook his head in embarrassment and began to carefully pick the feathers out of his hair, inspecting them to make sure they were still usable. Then his eyes darted back to the mirror and frowned. Of course. He had forgotten to change his eyes back to blue. Humans were strange. He could clearly recall that delicious smelling female from the other day with red eyes, and no one bugged her about it- or at least he imagined. But no doubt, his glowing eyes surely showed in the darkened hallway, and that must be why the masked human was scared.

Sunny hissed in amusement and proceeded with his bathing, deciding to wash the clothing at the last minute. He then left the room and moved into the hallway, naked and comfortable, a familiar state in which he had been carefully weaned out of by Mayu. The masked human was still there, and Sunny made sure to turn blue eyes on him. The human turned his head; the two holes where his eyes were burned into Sunny's, who grinned in response and went back into his room. He'd had darker looks from rodents.

He spread his shirt and pants out on the floor near the window then crawled over to the small table where the book sat. He sniffed it, smelled the Hokage and some other unidentifiable scents before opening it up. Words, words, and more words, all in the human tongue, puzzling and mysterious. He flipped through the pages, stopped at pictures here and there, read a word or two, before stopping on a page that had only a picture. The blood drained from his face. It was of a giant red and brown fox demon with nine tails. It took up the whole picture, its face full of such rage. He saw that one shoulder was smoking, and what looked like a small human falling away from it.

This was what that blue demon wolf was talking of, the Master that had been defeated in Konoha. But how? This Lord was taller than the trees, tall as a mountain, and so much more powerful than some pathetic ant of a human! Sunny's eyes traveled down the page and he saw words at the very bottom, and carefully sounded them out.

" '_Kyuubi no Kitsune, a large Nine Tailed Fox Demon, plagued Konohagakure for many months before he was defeated by our beloved Yondaime.'_ ''

Sunny swallowed, feeling a strange sensation, which he had recently dubbed as queasy, roil in his stomach and grit his teeth. He turned the page and almost hissed at the face of the blond human male, this Yondaime.

He hated this human with a passion.

Sunny lifted an index finger and poked the Yondaime's brilliant blue eyes out, leaving two holes as he carefully pulled the page out of the book. If this human was still alive, he would hunt him down. All he needed was his scent. He shut the book and tossed it back onto the table. He could hear the Tower awakening, human beings leaving their own dwelling to return here, to be less vulnerable. He didn't know how they managed to exist when they spent much of the night doing that strange thing called 'sleeping.' Such a weakness should not be tolerated! Sunny frowned. But at the same time, while resting, they were capable of shaking off this 'sleep,' at a moment's notice. It would take him centuries to shake off _resting_. But he _had _managed to do it once- when Mayu had- well he still couldn't say what had happened to her, except that she had stopped functioning properly.

Sunny blinked. Maybe it was the norm for all dying humans? Would the Hokage soon keel over, slur and cry? The thought made him uneasy, even as he could hear a human approaching his door and opening it. Sunny stared in curiosity. He was a ninja, by the sense of his chakra, and he wore some strange black material from ankle to neck, with a grey vest he had seen many of the human ninja wear. His dark hair was pulled up, and he wore a strange black device over his eyes. He had a haughty air about him and Sunny could feel immediate dislike radiate off of him.

Interesting..?

An appalled look crossed his face. "Boy! Where are your clothes!"

Sunny's eyes darted toward where they lay, but he remained motionless, legs crossed before him. The human looked at the clothes, obviously still wet from when he had washed them. The human turned back to him. "Well, don't you have other articles of clothing?"

Sunny made no reply, causing the human's frown to deepen.

Then, "Seenseeii!"

A vaguely familiar scent came charging down the hall and a small human male, one that he had seen with Team Seven yesterday, came into the room, tripping on a long piece of cloth that had been dangling around his neck. The human youngling grunted, rubbing his bruised cheek before jumping to his and turning to the older human.

"Sensei! Where's my old man, eh? He's not in his office."

The 'Sensei' (how many humans went by that name?) looked down at the youngling and adjusted the strange object on his face.

"The HOKAGE, Konohamaru, is very busy right now with the Kazekage of Suna, and all the details of the upcoming chuunin exam. You must not disturb him right now."

Konohamaru scowled and turned toward Sunny, eyes widening on contact. "You!" he gasped, pointing a finger at the motionless youth. "You're that guy with the creepy voice!" he shrieked. Sunny's eyes narrowed and he shifted in place, but was content to watch the scene unfold from where he was on the floor. The youngling's eyes all but bulged. "Hey! You're naked!" and he was laughing and pointing at him. Sunny gazed on, breathing in the air and vaguely curious at the saccharine scent that was wafting off of the youngling. Was it his blood? Or did he have something on him? He did not smell flowery like the females- but he did smell like something good. Edible.

The sensei sighed, turning to eye the blond with distaste.

"Stay here. I'll find something for you to wear," he turned and gestured to the still giggling boy. "Come on my young Hokage." Sunny raised a brow.

Konohamaru stopped laughing and turned to the man. "Naw. Ebisu-sensei, I'm going to hang around and keep this guy company- he practically saved my butt the other day." He turned and moved toward the motionless blond while his sensei balked.

"_What?! _No, you must come with me. I'll not leave you alone with that-" He cut himself off as Sunny's brows rose and he leaned forward a bit, while Konohamaru's dropped in puzzlement.

"Huh?" he asked, even as his sensei shook his head and told him to stay put, stomping down the hall. He shared a dark, knowing look with the Anbu guard before searching for clothing for the Kyuubi child.

Konohamaru stared curiously at the blond. "Hey, did you know there's an Anbu down the hall watching this room?"

A look of interest bloomed on the blonde's face. "Is that what they are?" he had heard- read of them, and Natsu and Sakura had spoken of them. Yes, they were the ones that wore the masks of animals. Something about 'S' class missions…or something…

Konohamaru nodded and moved near him, crouching down on his haunches.

"Say, you're not from around here are you? Are you from Sand?"

The sweetness was coming off him in waves; Sunny's mouth was watering.

"What's that smell?" he asked. Konohamaru looked puzzled and sniffed the air.

"Dunno what your sm-" he cut himself off with a grin. "Oh, I know what you're smellin," He dug his hand in his pocket and pulled out some small colorful stones wrapped in strange colored material. "I've got some candy. You want some?" The youngling took one, twisted the wrapper off, and popped it into his mouth. Fascinated, Sunny took one and unwrapped it, popping it into his mouth. He gasped in pleasure as he crunched away, oblivious of Konohamaru's face. "What? You never had candy before? Man, where were you born? Under a rock?" He handed Sunny another one. "Don't chew on it, Suck. It'll last longer."

Sunny nodded and popped the second one his mouth. This one tasted different from the first, yet even better. Sunny sat there, uncaring to the inquiring gaze of the academy student.

"Hey," Konohamaru said after a moment, realizing that this strange new person was too into the candy to notice him. "Hey!" he said again and nudged the naked blonde's shoulder. Sunny's eyes snapped open, and Konohamaru swore he saw a flash of red somewhere between one second and the next. "Hey, what's your name?"

"I'm Sunny," the blond replied pleasantly, ethereal face all but glowing with pleasure. Konohamaru waited for his full name, but when he received none, shrugged and smiled.

"Oookay… My name is Sarutobi Konohamaru. I'm the grandson of the Third Hokage," he announced, and waited in chagrin for the usual response. And waited. Sunny's glassy blue eyes only stared with half interest, mind no doubt still on the wonders of candy.

"Are you going to be training with me?" he asked instead, unsure of how to handle this marvelous indifference that he hardly ever received. That seemed to catch the blonde's attention, and when those eyes truly focused on him, Konohamaru felt a chill run down his spine. They were cold eyes, a bit apathetic- he'd seen them on jounin's before- the kind that had been in too many battles, the ones that couldn't think of any other way to live their lives.

"I suppose," Sunny said with that strange accent. "But I don't think you sensei likes me." Again something flashed in his eyes.

"Oh don't worry," Konohamaru said soothingly. "He's like that with everyone he first meets. It'll be okay."

Just then the human returned, looking peeved, which was his usual expression anyway.

"Here," he said dropping the clothing on the floor. "Put these on and meet us outside in five." He gestured to Konohamaru, who stood up and quickly followed, tossing Sunny excited looks all the while. When the room was empty, Sunny stared at the door. Five? What of it? He blinked and shook his head. Stupid humans. He moved from his spot and inspected the new cloth the Ebisu human had given him. It was dark green pants with a grey long sleeved shirt.

It was ugly.

Sunny liked things with more color, things that stood out. Forest green wasn't one of those colors. With a grunt, he dropped them back to the floor and picked up his soggy clothing. It would be uncomfortable until it dried, but there was no way he was going to wear something as stifling and unattractive as that. After struggling with his clothing, feathers, and jewelry, Sunny deemed himself ready to return to the rest of the human world. Leaving the room, he glided down the hall and stopped when he approached the Anbu human. He could see the muscles in his body tense, the scent of cleaning chemicals drifting off his body. He remembered them, because Mayu used to run it over surfaces when she was trying to get something as clean as possible. Then he understood.

He looked up at the mask and smiled.

"An-Bu," he stated, and continued to grin. There was an agitate air about the human, and when he spoke, it was with a purposefully empty voice.

"Yes?"

"You will never get the scent of blood off of you. It's deeper than skin now."

The humans' reaction was almost violent, the way his head jerked at the words. Sunny clicked in amusement and moved on, traveling the halls, following Konohamaru's sweet scent. He liked this candy. Candy was good. Why hadn't he been introduced to it before? As he turned the corner, he had to quickly move out of the way as several ninja passed, faces stern and wary. Behind them was the Hokage, dressed in his strange clothing, and another human, dressed similar, but with a white cloth covering his nose and mouth. Sunny's eyes widened and a hand flew to one of the remaining necklaces Sasuke boy hadn't burned.

It was the Snake- human, the one who had given him the necklace. Everything about his outer appearance was wrong-different- but his scent would always remain. Snake-human's eyes turned to him, and he saw the small spark of recognition ignite before it was smothered by indifference. The Hokage smiled at him in passing, which he readily returned, before returning to stare at the Snake human.

Already here? What did that mean? Should he try to take revenge now? Or do the smart thing and wait until he was powerful enough to pose as a true challenge? Sunny turned from them and continued to follow Konohamaru's trail, though it no longer seemed so sweet. He fingered the necklace and narrowed his eyes. He would see Gaara tonight, perhaps, and learn some jutsu's. Or perhaps this Ebisu would tell him? But then judging by his demeanor, he may be reluctant to impart this valuable information to Sunny.

_Well I'll just eat it out of him._

He winced. Nono, that would be disastrous. Surely he would be missed. Speaking of disasters, he would have to get rid of that human's body before it was found. He did not want those humans with their animals sniffing him out. Wait, just the humans, because most animals did not like to follow the trails of demons; he had seen it before when a hungry bear had tried to stalk him. His scent had driven it crazy- apparently it was a strong scent, and the animal had fled, until they had eaten it that is. Sunny sighed. It was going to be a busy day, and he was already hungry. How was a demon to get a decent meal around here without being persecuted?

Sunny scowled. He'd have to think well and hard about Snake-human before he acted. He must think like Tkaa. Yes… that's what he would do.

------------------------------

To their dismay, Tsorn and Dyadem were forced to lay low for a while, do to an unexpected skirmish between the humans. Watching the humans with the _source_, Tsorn couldn't help but feel frightened for Sunny. The little fool, willingly going into such a volatile nest. While he huddled in with the trees, blending in with the browns and greens, Dyadem had reverted back to the small blue flame and hovered near the forest floor.

Dyadem had the _source_- he could feel it, a cold steady pulse, barely noticeable. Only the Masters had the _source_, and very few of them existed, or even bothered with the lesser demons. This made Tsorn uneasy.

So why was _he_ here? What did he want?

**TBC**

**I truly hated this chapter- which was why it took me so long to finish it. Too much deleting involved.**

**Orochimaru returns. Team Gai will be introduced in the next few chapters- Team Seven will returns as well. The second part of Full Moon Howling will happen in a later chapter.**

**Also Sunny is more likely to eat a human in the next few chapters. He also has yet to figure out that he is Kyuubi.**


	16. Jutsu

Daystar Clarion does not own Naruto

**READ BOTTOM WHEN FINISHED**

**Due to the graphic nature of this chapter, DwD will be moved up a rating from T to M**

_**Warning: Graphic cannibalism**_

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Jutsu**

When Sunny emerged from the Tower, he breathed in the tainted air and opened his eyes to the blazing sun. He wondered if the human village ever had a day where they were completely silent, or if they spent every day as active as the last. Life had never been this complicated when he lived with the pack. Days had been spent playing, eating, or simply sitting around. Never this plotting- unless it involved the _Game_. He turned in the direction that Konohamaru's scent had gone and wandered along, glancing at humans who passed by. He could clearly hear the youngling demanding to learn new jutsu, and immediately quickened his pace. He needed to learn these jutsu things; it seemed the core of the ninjas' power, chakra and jutsu.

"Boy! Where are the clothes I brought you?!" the annoying Ebisu-sensei growled, grabbing Sunny's attention. At first he had no clue what the human was talking about, mainly because he seemed to speak too quickly for Sunny's comprehension, and he had to sort out some of the words before he could understand them. "Boy!" the human shouted. Sunny sniffed and turned to him, casting a barely concealed look of disdain his way.

"What? It was ugly and…" he searched for the word. "Con…constricting? Yes, constricting."

Before Ebisu could reply, the youngling Konohamaru tugged on his damp shirt.

"Hey guess what? Ebisu-sensei is going to be your sensei too! We get to train together!" the human youngling squealed, brimming with excitement. "I can show you some awesome jutsu's I've learned. Wanna see one?!"

Sunny nodded quickly just as Ebisu-sensei opened his mouth to protest. Konohamaru put his hands together, making those foreboding- yet promising hand movements. Chakra flowed through the youngling; cool, with the scent of fresh rain, before the area burst with unclothed, brown haired, human females. "Harem no Jutsu!" Konohamaru shouted at the same time in triumph just as Ebisu gave a curious squawk of indignation, causing Sunny to turn startled eyes on him, watching his face turn red

"Konohamaru!" the human male shouted as Sunny turned wary eyes on the strangely identical human females. "Cancel this disgusting jutsu at once!"

"Naw, you like it sensei," was the mocking reply as Sunny lifted a hand and placed it just below one of the giggling females' collar bone- or tried to, but his hand went right through her, and she popped into a haze of rain scented chakra.

"What is this?" Sunny whispered in wonder to himself, but Ebisu heard him over his rant, turned adjusting the strange object over his eyes and sneered.

"What? You've never seen a simple shadow bunshin? Do you even _know_ any jutsu?"

Sunny watched as the other females popped and disappeared.

"Cool huh?! I made it up myself. First really, it's two jutsu's, a henge-''

"Konohamaru! You will not be teaching Sunny here, such juvenile and immature techniques, which will surely not work on opponents."

"They work on you," Konohamaru replied with a leer, causing Ebisu-sensei to sputter with embarrassment.

"Teach me."

Both student and sensei turned to him, looking surprised and taking in his intense face. "Teach me all you know." He said to the human male, willing him with his eyes to comply.

Ebisu blinked several times, staring down at the blond in surprise. Those strange blue eyes gazed up at him with an intensity that he had never seen before in children. It was the look of a person who was about to eat up every word, follow every direction…it was the look of a perfect student. Ebisu blinked and swallowed, almost unsure of what to do with what might be his next avid student- Kyuubi or not. It was hard for a man- a teacher, to turn down a perfectly willing student.

"So you want to learn all that I know?" blushing at the vigorously nodding blond. "Well, I have paved the road for many elite ninja, and I'm even training a future Hokage," he gestured toward a beaming Konohamaru, "so I suppose you'll be getting the best training Konoha has to offer."

Sunny's eyes all but sparkled with anticipation.

"Do as I say and you might be the next Anbu captain." The boy nodded. "Now drop down and give me fifty. Both of you. Stamina and endurance are important traits for a ninja."

Konohamaru groaned, and Sunny watched in puzzlement as he got down on his knees, then straightened them from the ground. With his small thin arms, he began to push his body up from the grass, then down toward it by bending his elbows, then back up again in what seemed like a completely fruitless manner. "One. Two. Three," he chanted with each ascent and descent.

"Well?" Ebisu- sensei said, covered eyes clearly on him. Sunny blinked several times; Konohamaru turned his head up to look at him inquiringly.

"This is how you learn a jutsu?"He asked, and the youngling snorted in pure amusement. Sunny shrugged and prostrated himself on the grass, and proceeded to do as Konohamaru, who was on the number nine and was beginning to sweat, the sweet tang of his flesh wafting toward Sunny's nose.

"Ten," the youngling muttered; Sunny tilted his head curiously. What came after ten? He'd never been good with numbers, and had mainly focused on language- it being his first priority. "Eleven," Konohamaru said, and Sunny raised his eyebrows. Eleven. Interesting.

By the time Konohamaru hit a curious number of thirty-four, the youngling was panting and grumbling; Ebisu stood over them, his words long winded and droning, most of them not yet in his vocabulary, but judging by Konohamaru's exerted face, it wasn't important. Neither, he felt, was pushing his body up and down- it didn't make him feel anything but dizzy, though by the youngling's gasping and struggling, it had some impact on humans.

"When can I learn a jutsu?" he asked just as Konohamaru collapsed in the grass with a puff, grumbling that he couldn't take it anymore.

Take what?

--------------

Kakashi stood before Team Seven smiling sheepishly at the genin, knowing by Sakura's scowl and Sasuke's mask of indifference that they were annoyed by his chronic tardiness. Only Natsu seemed preoccupied, a frown etching his brow as he ran what looked like candy in his left hand. _Must be serious,_ he thought, because not much seemed to bug Natsu.

"As I'm sure you've noticed, there are in fact several rival ninja from other villages in our own. It's because there is a Chuunin Exam approaching, and it's being held here. The Chuunin Exam marks an important step in the Shinobi career, as it means you are no longer a rookie, and are able to acquire missions on your own. I believe you lot are ready to partake in the exam."

Sasuke was actually looking flushed, Sakura pale, and Natsu looked slightly incredulous, like he couldn't believe his ears.

"Of course this is an individual decision," he continued as he handed them their papers. "I want you guys to take some time off and think on whether _you_ feel ready to participate in the exam. It starts in two days at the Academy. Take care!" he waved cheerfully. Sasuke was already leaving, no doubt looking for a pen to start the paperwork, Sakura followed hesitantly behind him. She would be scared, but she would take the exam because Sasuke was going to. Of course there was Natsu, who never really pressured himself into anything. He might decide to wait until he was more confident, but Kakashi was sure Sasuke would never forgive him if he chose to do so.

As he turned to leave, he paused as he noticed Natsu still standing there, frowning down at the candy.

"What is it Natsu?"

Natsu glanced up at him with a smile. "Will you be seeing Sunny anytime soon?" he inquired with his pleasant voice.

Kakashi gave a small nod; it was likely that he would be seeing the jinchuuriki soon, whether he liked it or not. Natsu dug into his pocket and pulled out a small plastic bag full of what looked like green leaves. He handed the bag and the sweets to Kakashi.

"I know Sunny likes peppermint so I got him some leaves at the market, and some peppermint candy." He stared at his sensei's hand for a moment before speaking again. "I'm not blind, or stupid. I know that Sunny's capable of doing a lot of damage, but…just treat him alright ok? I get the feeling he's really lonely." Natsu gazed down at the applications before moving away. Kakashi watched his favorite student wander away, obviously more worried about Sunny than the exams. And no doubt, a certain old man was doing the exact same thing. And of Sunny, Kakashi could only think of one thing.

Sly little fox.

Sunny played for keeps.

------------------------

After the exercise, which Konohamaru called 'push ups,' Ebisu ordered them to jog about the village. This was almost as pointless as push ups, except that Sunny did enjoy running, and even though he was going at the slow pace of Konohamaru, he still found it enjoyable. He even found it curious that they weren't the only ones running, so he figured that this must be a way, albeit tedious, to learn a jutsu. As they passed the Academy, Sunny thought of Gaara, and wondered what he was doing. His eyes fell briefly on the training grounds, and remembered the body that he had buried, felt uneasiness as he saw ninja moving about, even stepping over the area. He had to get rid of that body somehow, but wasn't looking forward to digging up a rotting carcass; his nose wouldn't like it. That gave him an idea.

"Hey Konoha, where can I get a kunai?" he asked, looking down at the youngling as they ran.

"It's not Konoha!" he whined. "It's Konohamaru!" he glared up at Sunny's grinning face before he dug into a pocket and pulled one out. "Here, you can have this. I got a whole bunch at home."

Sunny, pleased, took the kunai and stuffed it into his now dry pants, accidentally cutting his skin with the sharp edge, but the wound healed before it even bled. He was trying not to get blood on his only clothing.

Together they ran back to the spot where Ebisu-sensei was standing, and after a mindless lecture, were dismissed for the rest of the day, but not before he pointed out that he hadn't learned a jutsu yet. This earned him another lecture, which Konohamaru had been smart enough to run from, before he was released, left with the feeling that his new sensei was absolutely inadequate, or maybe that he didn't know any jutsu's at all and was merely pretending, which was entirely possible, something that made Sunny grin as he headed back toward the Academy.

At the moment, he had a body to conceal, and vowed that the next time he killed a human, he would find a way to rid himself of the evidence. He had a feeling that these humans wouldn't like him eating them. Heading towards the field, Sunny was aware that the place was even busier than the last time, and that there were no younglings about, only adults, all of them seeming busy with something. Sunny kept his head straight and didn't dawdle, not wanting to draw attention to himself by looking idle. He was a demon with a purpose.

Standing before the site, Sunny glanced around quickly to see if anyone was watching, then pulled out the kunai. He ran it along his left wrist, actually grating against his bone, which hurt, and as the blood poured out, he quickly began to flick his wrist about, sprinkling blood around the area as quickly as he could, re-opening the wound every time it tried to heal. Marking territory was different for him than it was for animals, because he didn't- or more like couldn't, urinate or let loose some strange chemical, he used his blood. Animals didn't like being anywhere near a demon, especially where they had bled, so if any search animal came looking, they would avoid the area. If he was lucky, the body would have long decayed before it was found- and besides, they couldn't pin it on him anyway.

"Hey!" a human voice called, startling Sunny out of his thoughts. He turned as a tanned human male with black hair pulled up in a ponytail and a scar across his nose ran up to him. "Are you ok? You're bleeding!" He grabbed Sunny's arm before the boy could move away and examined his wrist. The wound was still there, mainly because he had been forcing it open again before it could heal. The human's eyes widened at the wound and he wrapped an arm around Sunny's shoulders. "It's going to be ok. Let me take you to the hospital and get this fixed up." His voice was sweet, calming, even though it was apparent that the human was distressed.

Sunny quickly shrugged out of his grip and ran from the human, but was startled when the man grabbed his arm near his elbow, jerking him to a stop.

"Don't be frightened." The man said, pulling Sunny toward him. What was _wrong_ with this human? He wasn't frightened! He was angry.

"I'm not scared. Let go of my arm!"

The man wrapped a hand around his now healed wrist. "You're hurt. I need to get you to a hospital and stop the bleeding."

Sunny scowled at the human. "I'm not bleeding anymore, so let go!" he dug his nails into the human's wrist; the man yelped and released him. Sunny lifted his bloody hand and pointed at his wrist, giving the human only a second to see that although it was bathed in blood, there wasn't a wound. Then he ran quickly away, wishing there were more trees inside of the village so that he could disappear in their embrace.

Sometimes humans really creeped him out.

--------------

Umino Iruka stared in silence as the strange blond haired child disappeared around a building.

"What the hell was that about?"

He turned to see Shiranui Genma approach, small senbon needle hanging from his mouth. His lazy eyes fell on Iruka's bloody hand and frowned. "What's on your hand?"

"Blood," Iruka replied, wondering why he even had to ask. "This boy cut his wrist open- pretty deep too, but he wouldn't come with me to the hospital and-''

"That's blood?"

Iruka frowned, then looked down at his hand. There was blood on his hands- but- as he lifted it to the light; he now noticed how dark it was, a deeper red- almost black. He could see the small cuts where the child had dug his nails into, and his own blood was a lighter shade, a normal shade. He lowered his hand and looked down at the dirt, noticing flecks and small puddles of the dark blood here and there.

"What the hell was he doing?" he whispered, puzzled.

"Did you recognize him?" Genma asked, taking Iruka's hand and wiping some blood onto his finger, then sniffed it. He frowned at the finger, then stuck his tongue out and licked it.

"You shouldn'-'' but Iruka's words were cut off as Genma gave a small gasp of pain, dropping his senbon from his mouth and began to spit saliva onto the dirt.

"Burns!" Genma managed to say between spitting, then rubbing his tongue with a hand. He pulled the water bottle from the straps on his leg and chugged some water into his mouth, sloshing it about, before spitting it out. "Ow," he winced, then stuck his tongue out at Iruka, who could see the reddened and obviously damaged taste buds. "Like acid…" he moaned, then gestured to Iruka's hand. "You better get that off." He handed the bottle to Iruka, who quickly began to wash his hand, beginning to feel the slight burn of his skin.

When the blood had washed away, he stared at his hand, which had also reddened, as if he had washed it too vigorously. He touched it, and it burned, as if his hand had been sunburned. He looked up at Genma, who had put his needle back into his mouth but looked like it pained him to do so, before turning to stare in the direction of where the boy had retreated.

"Who was that?"

-------------------------

It was when he was walking down the hall that led to his room, that Sunny realized that the Anbu humans hadn't followed him today, and the one that had been at the end of his hall wasn't there any longer. He felt alarm at this, because he had completely forgotten them, which meant they could have been watching him at the Academy. Sunny sniffed in disdain, just as his nose caught the scent of Kakashi-leader, and the man came from his room, lazy eye falling on him immediately, deceptively sharp and taking in Sunny's appearance. Good thing he had washed his hand of blood, and was grateful that he had managed to get it out of his white shirt as well, though now it was damp all over again.

He averted his eyes from Kakashi leader's face, just as the scent of peppermint hit him. His eyes darted over the human's body, searching for the object of his desires.

"Ah, Sunny. I was looking for you," came that lazy voice, but Sunny struggled not to flinch as Kakashi leader began to walk towards him. "Natsu wanted me to give something to you."

Sunny perked up at the thought of the friendly human boy, and a wave of… what? Did he miss him? Was this a wave of loneliness? Kakashi dug into his pocket and pulled out a clear bag of peppermint leaves and what looked like those small hard candy things that he liked. He handed them to Sunny, who immediately opened the bag and popped several leaves into his mouth, sighing in pleasure at the sharp taste hit his tongue, just like it was supposed to. He put them in his pants pocket and looked up at the human, beaming in pleasure. The Kakashi leader gave a small sigh and ruffled his hair, which startled him, before he moved on.

"Stay out of trouble Sun," he said as he turned the corner, but didn't miss the flinch he saw in Sunny's eyes. It was a command if he ever heard it, and it reminded him of Krik. He even had the urge to go climb a tree and sulk. Instead he entered his room, eyeing the bed, which now had several articles of clothing, all in black, green, and grey. A wave of weakness hit him, and Sunny knew _resting_ was about to hit.

Walking to a corner of the room, he sat down and brought his knees up to his chest, chewing away as he leaned into the corner, feeling the ability to move leak from his body until his jaws stopped moving and his lids lowered lazily over his eyes, though they remained open. The silence of the room seemed to swallow him up, so used to sleeping outside where he could hear the birds and wildlife. Though he _could_ still hear them, though barely over the cacophony of humans, who seemed to make so much noise. He could here the murmuring of human life in the Tower, and strangely, weird noises inside the walls, hollow cranks that puzzled and mystified him.

An hour later, he sensed that the Hokage was coming, to his chagrin, for he had hoped no one would see him _resting_. If only he had paid more attention, he would have found a tree somewhere to hide for the duration of _resting_. There was a knock on the door, and he sensed that the Hokage stood on the other side. Why did the humans knock on the doors before entering? Did they like the sound of their knuckles against wood? The door swung open and the Hokage entered, eyes falling on him. Sunny tried to force his eyes shut, but only managed to get it to the point where he could only see through his eyelashes as the dying human approached him.

In moments he was lifted from the floor and carried to the bed, placed gently on it then had cloth pulled over him- but that was after the Hokage realized his shirt was wet and removed it. When the man felt him settled in, he stroked his hand through his hair, which Sunny had to admit was extremely pleasant, and welcomed. Then the man made a silent retreat, closing the door behind him.

Sunny was left to think, which was all one _could_ do during_ resting_, and he pondered on what he was going to eat, and what would happen to him if he began to use up his small reserves due to the fact that it seemed like a trial just to get something to eat in the village. He also thought of how slow it was, trying to get someone to teach him a jutsu, and by the last hour of _resting_, came to the decision that if he wanted to learn a jutsu, he would have to steal one. And this way, he could get something to eat as well. All he needed was Gaara.

When _resting _released him, Sunny stretched and continued chewing the peppermint that remained in his mouth as he eyed the clothing left out for him. He poked and prodded, finally deciding on a dark green pants that had all those pockets on the legs and a black short sleeved shirt. Where was the color! He almost wanted to wail, but knew that a black shirt would hide the blood he would no doubt spill tonight. Opening his door, he peered down the hall and noticed that the Anbu humans had yet to return, and that above the scent of peppermint, there was the musky scent of snakes. Sunny frowned and closed his door, heading for the window and launching himself from the Tower. The sun was already making its descent into the horizon, promising a cool evening ahead.

Upon touching ground, he joined the humans, watching them, looking for prey. A certain type of prey, he thought, someone that knew jutsu. Sunny stretched his neck as he moved down the pathways, moving away from the lights, moving away from the crowded human bodies, until he was in an area where only a few humans wandered, humans with hunched shoulders, shifty eyes, and the air of malcontent about them. Sunny turned in a circle before heading into an alley. He swallowed several times, clearing his throat, before he tilted his head back and sang, using the _Lure_ for the first time in a year. As he sang, he weaved what he wanted, someone who knew jutsu, someone alone. It felt good to sing, and almost felt relaxed, that is until he felt a human approach. He dropped the _Lure_ to a hum and eyed the human who came into view. It was male, and wore what must be standard ninja attire, with grey hair and one of those strange objects over his eyes, though they were clear, not black like Ebisu-sensei's. He looked just a few years older than Sunny, and his dark eyes had that glazed look of one captured by the _Lure._

But he smelled of snakes. He smelled of _him_.

Sunny abruptly stopped humming and watched as lucidity returned to the human, who immediately grabbed a kunai and stiffened, dark eyes sharpening like the blade he carried. The human stared at him, as he stared back, hungry and disappointed that his prey was much more powerful than he had hoped. Not to mention, it was part of the 'snake-man's pack, which would not go over well, even _if_ he managed to eat him.

The human lowered the kunai, though his gaze remained intense.

"I know you," he said in a deceptively calm voice. "My master mentioned you. What did you do to me? What jutsu was that?"

-----------------

Yakushi Kabuto felt great uneasiness. One moment he had been on a rendezvous with some Suna nins, the next moment he had heard someone calling him, and was unable to do anything else but answer that call, in some type of daze, helpless. Then he was standing in an alley, farther from his originally intended place, where a golden haired boy with the strangest blue eyes stared at him, motionless. He didn't know what jutsu the boy had used, and if it was a bloodline trait, but he was beginning to see why Orochimaru-sama had mentioned him on several occasions, why he seemed so pleased that not only was there the prospect of Uchiha Sasuke, but also of Uzumaki Naruto. Kyuubi no Kitsune. Staring into the luminous blue eyes, Kabuto noticed how off they were. Actually, they looked like the eyes of a porcelain doll, as if they were made of glass, and they even had that shine to them when the light hit, as if they were not made of flesh. And even though the boy hadn't moved, his eyes burned over Kabuto's body, making him sweat, something he wasn't used to doing unless it was Orochimaru's gaze.

"You snake man's pack?" the Kyuubi said suddenly, and his voice cut through the silence, lyrical, beautiful, with an accent he never heard before. But that wasn't what made his eyes widened. It was his reference to Orochimaru; paranoia rushed through him. If this boy knew who his allegiances lay with, whom else would know?

Kabuto took a step back, eyes darting everywhere, senses stretching out in case there was someone tailing him, but he could only sense the demon child, though his chakra was hidden, the air of malevolence and menace hung about him. The boy's head jerked forward and cocked to the side in a birdlike manner as he waited for his reply.

Apparently this boy knew who Orochimaru was, which Orochimaru had earlier confirmed when he mentioned that the Kyuubi child had recognized him in the hall and had not said anything. So was it safe to speak? No, it wasn't, nothing was ever really safe when one was a ninja.

"Yes, I am. I'm Kabuto. And you must be Uzumaki Naruto."

The boy frowned and suddenly began to chew on something, probably gum, before he spoke.

"Not 'zaki Nto. Sunny. I'm Sunny," the blue eyes narrowed, and he watched them turn purple then a crimson red with vertical pupils. They didn't look fake anymore; they were more unnatural than Orochimaru's. Kabuto gripped his kunai.

"You are not what I wanted," the boy said, pointing a finger at him. The Kyuubi child's head jerked again, an ear to the sky, eyes darting to the right, and waved his hand in a clear bid for him to be silent. Kabuto backed up and leaned against the wall. What_ did_ the boy want? He watched as the child opened his mouth…and began to sing. Kabuto's eyes widened as the sound rushed over him, sweet, clear - yet breathy, like a dozen choir children singing together in perfect harmony. There were no words exactly, it seemed as just before a word formed it was taken away by another, leaving him simply reveling in the sound. But then he felt it, an alien feeling rushing through him, searching for something within him, picking him apart, sifting through his desires, his brain, and just before he could shout, it moved on, releasing him, as if no longer interested in what he had to offer. The daze cleared immediately, and the music that the boy was singing went from angelic to demonic.

Within moments, some kid, about sixteen years of age, wandered into the alley, and Kabuto felt a chill at the glazed look in his brown eyes. Had he looked like that? Uzumaki's singing dropped to a hum as the youth eyed the kid from head to toe, as if examining his wares before he bought them. His fist shot out and connected with the strangers' stomach, and the boy slumped to the ground immediately.

The humming stopped, and the area was engulfed in silence. Kabuto breathed deeply, relief flooding through his veins as he watched Uzumaki hover over the boy, frowning and staring thoughtfully at the unconscious body. Kabuto straightened himself from the wall, catching Uzumaki's attention, and those intense eyes darted over to him. The boy nudged the body with a bare foot.

"Is he strong?" he asked, no sign of that beautiful voice remained, only the strange accent.

Kabuto looked at the unconscious kid and searched his chakra level. He had one, but it was only at genin level, and judging by his age and attire, the kid was a drop-out, never making it completely through the Academy.

"No," he replied, curious as to why the Kyuubi child wanted to know.

"Will he be…missed?" the boy asked, eyes narrowing at the body. Kabuto raised his brows.

"Doubtful."

The boy shuddered, then became still, the only movement coming from the occasional sway of the feathers in his hair. That was, before he realized that the boys' lips were parted, and his throat was vibrating, yet no sound came from him.

Dogs barked in the distance.

Kabuto's eyes narrowed, and with chakra, he pooled it towards his ears, wanting to hear what was either too loud a frequency to hear, or too low. The moment his hearing sharpened, Kabuto cried out and covered his ears, for the sound that invaded his ears was similar to if one took a sheet of tin foil and shook it vigorously. He let his chakra go, opening his eyes to see that Uzumaki was staring at him, no longer making that sound.

"What was that?" he asked, dropping his hands from his ears. Uzumaki ignored him, instead walked-or more like stalked a circle around the body, nostrils flaring. He continued to do this for the next ten minutes; Kabuto was unsure whether he should leave and report all this to Orochimaru, or stay to see where it all went. His decision was made as he felt a chakra signature approach, vaguely familiar, and felt his eyes widen as Sabaku no Gaara walked right into the alley, purposefully, as if he had every intent to be right at this spot. The shadowed green eyes had settled directly on Uzumaki, the gourd sitting on his back like it was a mere extension of his body. He stopped before Uzumaki, arms folded and face blank, yet there was barely concealed excitement in his eyes.

Uzumaki stepped toward him and tossed as arm around the jinchuuriki's shoulder in a show of companionship that none of his siblings dared show, from what Kabuto's information had gathered. Gaara of the Sand was supposed to be feared by his own father, the Kazekage to Suna. He was said to have a terrible bloodlust and a yearning for killing, that his sand techniques were deadly, that his mind was unstable. How did he know Uzumaki?

The Kyuubi child's mouth opened, and Kabuto shuddered as sounds came from his mouth, sounds too complicated and complex for him to describe. _This must be the tongue of demons_, he thought, and paid close attention to Sabaku's reaction, which was simply staring at the body, then at Uzumaki, who was gesturing to the body, then at Gaara's gourd. Then Gaara's eyes turned on him, and he tightened his grip on his kunai.

"What about him?" the sand nin muttered, apparently understanding everything Uzumaki said. Said boy turned red eyes on him then continued to talk, waved a dismissive hand in his direction before turning, picking up the body, and tossing it over his shoulder in a clear show that the drop-out weighed nothing to him. Gaara moved deeper into the alley, and turned down one corner, following Uzumaki.

Kabuto followed both, unable to stop himself from wanting to see what it was that these two jinchuuriki were up to. They walked deeper into the area, Uzumaki stopping occasionally to mutter something in that demonic language to Gaara. Gaara turned to Kabuto.

"Is there an abandoned place around here?" his voice was a quiet rasp, as if he wasn't used to talking much. Kabuto raised a brow and nodded, knowing of a warehouse half a mile east from their current position. He led the way, aware that there were two jinchuuriki following behind him, their gazes burning into his back. The discomfort would be worth it, he told himself; he would have gathered much information on Uzumaki, enough to please Orochimaru, and perhaps extra on Sabaku.

Finally they arrived at the warehouse, and he pushed aside a dilapidated slab of wood to peer inside. The area was dusty and moldy, uninhabited even by the homeless. He moved out of the way and gestured for them to enter. After following behind him, he pushed the slab of wood closed, engulfing them in darkness. As he searched for a small flare, he could see two glowing red dots that moved together in sync with one another. Uzumaki's eyes. Catching the flare, he was pleased when light bathed the room, seeing Uzumaki crouched before the unconscious boy, and Sabaku standing three feet away, arms crossed, eyes on the other two.

At that moment, the nameless boy began to stir, groaning and trying to curl up in pain. Uzumaki took the youth's arm, and with a quick snap, broke it at the elbow. The boy screamed in pain, eyes flying open, struggling to get away as Uzumaki grabbed his other arm and snapped it at the elbow as well. Kabuto watched on as Uzumaki made short work of the kid, breaking both his legs until the boy was a quivering mass of pain, making small pained noises, eyes rolling wildly in his sockets. Gaara stood where he had before, but his eyes were wide, his mouth turned up in a grin that almost rivaled Orochimaru's. Uzumaki didn't seem pleased or displeased; he just seemed intent on what he was doing, which seemed the question of the evening.

What _was_ he doing? Kabuto had seen far worse things than this, being with Orochimaru had exposed him to many scenes of torture and experimentation- he was used to it. But he was also used to a motive, and at the moment, he couldn't see one. Was it for pure pleasure; Gaara looked happy- too happy- or was there a reason behind all this?

Uzumaki took the boy's head in his hands, then placed it in the crook of his arm. He seemed to examine the boy's pained face, who was losing consciousness, then turned and lifted his left hand, staring at his fingers. Kabuto watched as the small sharp nails on Uzumaki's fingers sharpened and grew, until they were almost claws. With that hand he then dug them into the boys scalp, peeling it back, exposing the skull. The boy didn't scream, just made a choking sound and went limp. Gaara's face went from pleasurable to contemplative, and it became clear that he too didn't have a clue what Uzumaki was doing. The sound of grating bone assaulted Kabuto ears, and his eyes widened as Uzumaki sawed at the boy's skull with his claws, then delicately removed the plate of skull from the boy's head, exposing his brain. All this he did gently, cocking his ear toward his chest, listening to the boy's shallow breathing, and weak pulse.

"What are you doing?" Kabuto asked, staring at the blond demon. Uzumaki blinked up at him, eyes alien, and cold, undisturbed by his own actions, a face he had seen on Orochimaru often enough when he took to experimenting on his victims. But at least he could see why Uzumaki had broken the kids' arms and legs first, so he couldn't flail and run. Thoughts and speculation fled however when Uzumaki dug his hand quickly into the boy's brains, scooping a large chunk out with his hand and shoved it into his mouth. The body spasmed once, Uzumaki quickly dove in for another scoop, and the boy became lifeless.

Blood rushed from Kabuto's face even as breakfast made its way back up. He watched as Uzumaki's eyes fluttered, eyes rolling up towards his lids, making a small gurgle as he swallowed the matter in his mouth. Kabuto swallowed thickly, turning his head away, and spying Gaara's cracked face and wide eyes. He waited until the nausea passed before turning to look at the demon child, who had released the head and was making the signs for a bunshin jutsu. He wasn't putting any chakra into it, he simply moved on to a henge, then kawamari jutsu, then let his hands drops to his sides. He looked down at the dead body is disgust before saying quite clearly in Japanese, "That is all you know?"

It, of course, became clear as to what had just conspired here, just as Uzumaki punched his fist through the body's chest and pulled out the motionless heart. He tossed it to Sabaku, who caught it and stared emptily at it. In the meantime, Uzumaki viciously tore a broken arm from the body, ripping the cloth off, and took a very healthy bite out of the bicep. Breakfast came back up and made its escape, and Kabuto turned away as he vomited on the dusty floor. Demonic words came with the sound of tearing flesh, and the other arm thumped at his feet. Kabuto lifted his head, seeing that Uzumaki had picked the arm clean and had moved on to tearing a leg off the torso.

Uzumaki looked up at him, then the arm that he had tossed to him, clearly expecting Kabuto to eat it, before sending Gaara an inquiring look, clearly unsure of as to why the jinchuuriki wouldn't eat the heart. Sabaku hesitated before lifting the heart to his mouth and taking a small bite- or tried to bite the muscle but not succeeding with blunt teeth. Instead he seemed to settle for sucking the blood from the organ, which seemed to please Uzumaki all the same, who then returned to stare at him.

Kabuto shook his head.

"I don't eat my own kind," he said coldly, and glanced at Sabaku, whose green eyes flashed up at him, even as his face cracked. Uzumaki shrugged and continued to eat with gusto, until both legs had been devoured, the arm that he had tossed back to him, and the liver, which he had given to Gaara to suck the blood out of. All this he watched with an ill understanding, that that could have been him if he hadn't been part of Orochimaru's 'pack'. He could have been that kid on the ground, brains eaten for the information that lay within. What a disgusting- yet amazing series of techniques. Hypnotize your opponent, then steal information from their brains.

That could have been him.

Gaara walked up to the mangled carcass, nodded to Uzumaki as the stopper on his gourd popped open and reddish sand began to pour out, trailing over to the body, then engulfing it in sand.

"Sabaku Kyuu," the sand nin whispered as the sand hardened around the body. "Sabaku SouSou," he whispered again, lifting his hand and making a fist. There was a crunch of bones within the sand- then it exploded outward, sand flying everywhere, the body gone. Uzumaki laughed, a high pitched, wild thing, as the sand traveled back into Gaara's gourd. The stopper popped onto the nozzle, the gourd shuddered, and the cracks along Sabaku's face faded.

Uzumaki dug a bloody hand into his pocket and pulled out a piece of candy, unwrapping it and placing it on a bloody tongue. He grinned at Kabuto before turning to Gaara, grabbing his arm.

"Let's go play! You hide, I find you!"

Sabaku looked startled, blinking several times at Uzumaki before nodding, heading toward the slab of wood. At that moment, the flare began to wane, the dimming light made Uzumaki's eyes glow. The blond turned to Kabuto and gave a smile.

"Want to play with us?" he beckoned cheerfully.

_And be your prey_? Kabuto thought sardonically. _I think not_. He shook his head, and Uzumaki shrugged, looking neither disappointed nor caring. Instead his eyes roamed the area, taking the slight smug on the dirt, and a few pieces of cloth where the boy had been murdered. He looked at Kabuto, raised pale brows and put a finger to his lips, making a small 'shushing' sound, then grinned, baring pointed teeth. A crack came from his mouth, no doubt the candy that he had been sucking on, but sounded eerily like the crunch of bone. The warning was clear. Talk and die.

Uzumaki bounced toward the opening, a strange warble coming from him before he disappeared, no doubt looking for the sand jinchuuriki.

Kabuto left the warehouse, glanced around, aware that he was_ very_ late for his rendezvous with the Suna nins, but not really caring. He dug into his deck of cards and pulled out one for Uzumaki Naruto. There wasn't one.

There was one for a Sunny though.

Kabuto grinned.

--------------------

Tsorn pulled the dead human into the brush, pleased with his catch of the lone human, but wary that there may be more of them somewhere, more like the ones that had torn apart his pack. He had never been this far east before; Krik's territory was far from here. A blue light hovered through the trees before it flashed into the blue wolf that was Dyadem.

\We're about to approach Fire Country now…it's an area of great activity of late./ His ebony eyes fell on the dead human. \We shall be very careful Tsorn; this place is littered with humans full of the _source/ _

Tsorn nodded, about to devour his meal when a thought hit him.

\Is Fire Country a _Territory?/_

\Oh yes,/ Dyadem replied, then grinned in amusement as Tsorn dropped the body, no doubt planning to use it as homage. \But fear not, I do not think homage is necessary. We will be very welcome in these lands. I guarantee it./

**TBC**

**Would like to humbly thank KitsuneyJenfner for being my **_**very**_** patient beta.**

**I know this chapter may offend some with a delicate disposition; I've taken the liberty of upping the rating.**

**Sunny's probably making Gaara more unstable than he already is. I feel bad about that. Although he is offering friendship.**

**Iruka will make another appearance- the poor guy thought Sunny was committing suicide.**

**Tsorn and Sunny may be reunited in the next chapter- however they may not. I'm not sure yet.**

**If anyone was wondering why he called Gaara, it was so he could use his desert coffin and desert graveyard techniques to get rid of the body. What a user…**

**The **_**Lure**_** called Kabuto first, because Sunny sang for a ninja who knew jutsu and Kabuto was in the area. The second time, he asked for a ninja who knew jutsu, and was **_**weak. **_**Hence, the genin drop out… Sunny only got the very basics of jutsu. Maybe next time he'll do better. It usually takes great skill for a demon to be able to call someone with certain qualities; most could only do general calls. Krik could be specific, which was how he was able to call Yumi. Sunny is **_**very**_** good with the **_**Lure**_**- but no one is perfect.**

**What happened to the Anbu? Will be explained in next chapter, though it isn't really important.**


	17. Reunion

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Reunion**

By the time mid-morning arrived, Sunny had poured over the small and large scrolls the Hokage had given him, comprehending most of the material and feeling slightly embarrassed that he had the means to learn a jutsu sitting right in his room the whole time. The concept of chakra coils was intriguing, bringing him back to the time Krik had inquired about that stretching feeling he used to feel before he had started using his chakra. It must have been his own chakra coils stretching whenever they got full. He had stared at his arms and legs, trying to see these mysterious coils that supposedly stretched throughout his body. It was a curious thing; he wondered if he opened up a human body, would he be able to find these coils? He'd never noticed them before- but perhaps they hid amongst the veins? He would have to look the next time he had a ninja within his grasp. The possibilities… if he could get one that was powerful enough- with abundant knowledge…

Sunny rubbed his hands together and leered, copying a human he had seen do the same thing. He had so few techniques, but perhaps it would give him an advantage over the stronger shinobi. He _did_ have a lot of chakra to use.

Sunny watched as the sun rose, feeling sated for once, having eaten his fill and having enjoyed the night with Gaara, who had proved to be a most interesting hider. The sand demon had really been into the game- having smeared his scent all over the village. Sunny had spent hours peeking and sniffing into corners and alleys, over roofs, and at the entrances of dwellings, sniffing Gaara's earthy scent, trying to decipher which was the freshest.

He finally found the demon hidden under some dirt, and only because the sand had reeked of old blood. On the other hand, it was apparently easy for Gaara to find him, because he smelled predominantly of peppermint, and he had a 'presence' about him. Sunny scowled. It wasn't _his_ fault that his body never really processed peppermint leaves! If anything wasn't processable, it either sat in his stomach until he forced it back out, or it was liquefied and pushed through his pores, which was why he smelled of peppermint, and if anyone wanted to really know, so did his flesh. Sunny ran a finger over his arm then stuck it in his mouth, tasting the mint and feeling mildly amused. To his own surprise, the 'candy' stuff _had_ processed, which was startling- but more puzzling than anything. It made him wonder why his body only processed certain things. He was sure the peppermint candy resembled the actual leaves- so why was it that he could not process the leaves, but managed the candy? What was the candy made of?

As he pondered this, his index finger still hanging in his mouth, he sensed the Hokage's presence and waited until the human entered. Sunny looked up at him and frowned. There was an air of unease about the human, and though he smiled gently down at him, Sunny could tell the action wasn't heart felt. He pulled his finger out of his mouth and smiled up at the man who loomed over him. The Hokage gently ruffled his hair and continued to smile down at him.

"How are things going Sunny?" He asked in his slightly gravelly voice.

Sunny beamed.

"I learned jutsu's! Want to see?!" He jumped to his feet and made the quick seals, feeling the chakra pool through him, excited yet patient, angry and yet calm. "Bunshin no Jutsu!" He exclaimed and felt pleasure as the shadow clones popped into existence around him. Twenty Sunny's stood in the room, immediately making it crowded, turning to beam at the human in unison.

"Well done!" The Hokage clapped his hands together once and grinned out over the clones. "Excellent work Sunny. And no chakra wasted. You're a natural."

Sunny chest swelled with pride as he dispelled the jutsu, understanding how Konohamaru felt when he had created his jutsu. Sunny bounced on the balls of feet in excitement.

"Sunny," the Hokage spoke, after clearing his throat. "Do you see that large round building over there?" He pointed out the window. Sunny's head turned and he spied it, all greens and browns, lined with red, and nodded. "Why don't you head down there and say hello to Team Seven before they enter the Exams?"

Sunny stopped bouncing and thought for a second. That _did_ sound like a good idea; he wanted to see Natsu, and perhaps say hello to Sakura…and remind Sasuke boy of the _Game_. That would be fun.

"Okay!" He stated cheerfully. "I go take a bath first- then I go!"

-------------------

Kazuya Natsu grimaced as he strolled up near the Arena and saw Sakura standing there timidly, eyes darting nervously to other genin that were passing by into the building. He had _really_ hoped she wouldn't show up. He, unlike they, had asked around before signing his papers, and had discovered that one had to be in a three man cell in order to enter the Exams. If one of them didn't want to go, none of them could. He had hoped Sakura would declare herself unready, which she wasn't, and they wouldn't be able to enter. But who had he been kidding? Sasuke would have thrown a fit if she said no, and would have made her enter. The problem was, none of them were ready for this Exam- he couldn't for the life of him figure out why Kakashi-sensei would enter them into the deadly Exam.

Was he so eager to make them chuunin? Natsu's face paled. Oh man, was this some diabolical, convoluted plan to get rid of his team? He knew that the Copy nin hadn't been interested in having a Team in the first place, and it was only through luck that they had passed his survival training test. Was this his way of passing them on, so he could get back to doing missions, and not baby-sitting?

The thought saddened him, and his shoulders hunched in on the thought. People died in the Exams, and Team Seven wasn't ready for it. Dammit! If only he'd had the balls to not sign the papers and show up, then he wouldn't-

"Natsu!" A familiar voice called, and Natsu lifted his head and turned to see Sunny gliding towards him, blue eyes dancing, a smile playing on his pink lips. He was dressed in the same white shirt and brown pants.

"Hey Sunny." He said as cheerfully as he could manage, but was afraid it came out rather pathetically judging by the frown that now marred Sunny's blond brow. Sunny came to his side and frowned at him.

"What's the matter Natsu? You smell of fear."

Natsu blushed and sniffed his arm pits, but could only smell deodorant and soap. "Uh…" was his most intelligent reply as he scratched his scalp nervously. He saw Sunny's nostrils flare, and that alien look began to enter those weird blue eyes. Sunny cocked his head to the side and peered at him, his eyes going frighteningly cold.

"What's the matter Natsu? Someone hurting you?"

Natsu blinked in surprise and gave a small laugh. "No! Not at-''

Sunny took a step towards him, his face so serious, so dangerous. "Just show me where this human is, and I take care of it for you. Just show me where." His words were low, yet they dropped like heavy stones.

"Uh," and he blinked rapidly, feeling fear at Sunny's careless placement of 'human' and 'it.' Did his imaginary tormentor just become an _it?_ "Don't worry Sunny! No one's messin' with me. I'm just nervous, is all." He gave a weak laugh as Sunny's eyes narrowed and bore into his own.

Then just like that, the look wiped itself from Sunny's face so fast, Natsu was afraid he'd get whiplash. The blond was beaming at him and pulling out the small bag of peppermint that he had bought for him.

"Thank you for these- they taste just like home." A look of bliss passed over the ethereal face as he popped a few leaves into his mouth. "And the Hokage wanted me to say hello to you before the Exam."

Natsu gave him small smile just as Sakura approached.

"Hey Sunny!" She called cheerfully. "Haven't seen you in a day or so. How have you been? Have you entered the Acade-''

"So you guys came," a morose voice cut in, and they turned to see Sasuke approach. Natsu held in a sigh, even as he saw Sunny grin maliciously at him. "You guys better not hold me back."

Sakura blushed and stuttered something while Sunny continued to smile at him. Natsu frowned.

"Don't be silly Sasuke. If none of us had shown up, you wouldn't have been able to enter the Exams anyway." _So we'd hold you back whether you like it or not. _

He watched in silent amusement at the frown of horror that passed over the Uchiha's face, just as Sakura balked out, "How come Kakashi-sensei didn't tell us that?!"

Natsu rubbed his face and felt the burn of tiredness run through him. "I imagine it's because he wanted us to make our own decisions about this, and _not,_" he gave Sasuke an intense look at this, "pressure our teammates into signing up."

Sasuke grunted and turned toward the gates, and Sakura quickly followed him. Natsu sighed and headed for the gate; Sunny followed at his side, sending him puzzled looks.

"Why… are you so scared Natsu? Is this… Exam… a bad thing?" he seemed to be choosing his words with care.

Natsu shrugged, "It's nothing really," he was silent for a moment, but the urge to spill was heavy within him. "It's just that we're not ready for this Exam, and it's dangerous. We could be killed. I don't want to die, but more than that, I don't want my teammates or my friends to die. At least when you're dead, you don't feel anything. But to see my friends die… well that's an ugly pain." Sunny had this faraway look in his eyes. "I mean, I guess if I didn't want to see things like that happen, I shouldn't have joined the Academy," he grimaced. "Except you don't think of things like that when you're six. You think of heroism and grandeur, or jumping on rooftops, not of death… not really anyway." Sunny's eyes rolled to him, those strange blue eyes seemed to burn.

"Why don't you stop being a ninja then?"

Natsu shook his head as they approached the door, "I can't. I'm in too deep- it's the way of my life now; I'll probably live and die by the kunai." He patted Sunny's back, feeling better now that he had said such things. They entered the building, and Natsu felt his eyes widen as he saw how many genin stood in the area, tall, short, wiry, bulky, shady, or gaudy, they milled about in their little groups, mostly by village. Natsu glanced around and spotted Team Eight standing close to Team Ten, and grabbed Sunny's arm so he could make his way to familiarity. Kiba spotted him first.

"Hey Nat-'' the greeting was cut short when his eyes fell on Sunny; Akamaru stuck his head back into Kiba's jacket with a whimper. Shino and Hinata turned their heads to see what had cut Kiba off so abruptly.

"Hey guys! You're here too eh? What a relief. You remember Sunny right?"

Shino nodded but made no reply, while Hinata ducked her head and nodded. Sunny's eyes roved over the group before they settled on Shino, and he stepped forward, walking up to the silent nin.

"What _are_ those things on your face?" He asked in a mystified voice, and Natsu chuckled. Kiba was staring at him, unnaturally silent for once, his face donning a pinched look while Akamaru continued to cower inside of his jacket.

"Sun glasses." Shino answered laconically when it became apparent that Sunny wasn't going to move until he got an answer. The mystified look remained, and Natsu gently pulled the boy away from Shino.

"It protects his eyes from the sun." Natsu explained, amused at the 'oh' look Sunny was giving him. Then he turned and stared back at Shino again.

"You hum." He stated suddenly, and that seemed to get Shino's full attention, but Sunny became distracted when Yamanaka Ino popped up next to him and beamed.

"Well hello there!" She greeted, standing _very_ close to Sunny. "I don't believe we met. I'm Yamanaka Ino, from Team Ten. You are?"

Sunny blinked at her and sniffed. "You smell like flowers."

Oh boy…

"REALLY?!" She exclaimed, making Sunny jump in startlement, and immediately latched onto his arm. "You are _so_ sweet! What did you say your name was?"

Sunny gave a small grunt and pried her from his arm, while the disturbingly silent Kiba stiffened. Natsu sent him a puzzled look. Had Sunny offended him in some way?

"Hey Natsu." a lackadaisical voice greeted, and Natsu turned a smile on the lazy genius Nara Shikamaru. He used to spend most of his Academy time hanging out with Shikamaru and Chouji, who was just behind him with a bag of potato chips. He used to admonish Akimichi on his poor eating habits, until the heavy youth had told him of his family jutsu. Now he contributed to his eating habits.

"Hey Shikamaru. I'm really glad you guys are here. It's good to see a friendly face." He glanced unhappily at the surrounding genin, some looking too old to be there.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I know what you mean. This is going to be so troublesome," he eyed Sunny, who was staring at Ino as she began to talk incessantly about fragrances. "So who's your new friend? Where's Uchiha?"

At the mention of Sasuke, a commotion started, and Natsu turned to see a boy in green challenge Sasuke to a fight.

"Oh man!" Natsu groaned, and he headed toward his teammate. The others followed behind. He came to Sakura's angst-ridden side and frowned, recognizing the strange kid in green. He was a leaf nin, he had seen him running maniacally around Konoha before. He was a kid who attracted attention, whether it was the green spandex-like material, or the bowl cut hair and the extremely bushy eyebrows, he wasn't a face easily forgotten. Why was he fighting Sasuke?

And Natsu proceeded to watch Sasuke get pummeled by this guy in green, and silently groaned at this. In no time, Sasuke would brood about his failure to be the best, and would most likely be in a sour mood until he kicked someone else's ass. The scene went from unfortunate to bazaar when the fight was interrupted by a man, who looked like an older version of the green-clad kid, popped up standing on the shell of a giant turtle. He heard a few gasps, one near him that made him look. Sunny was standing there with a scandalized look on his face that was almost comical, except the look faded into a guarded, wary expression. Natsu patted his shoulder, to comfort the youth, but Sunny seemed agitated now, and he slipped away from him, moving away from the genin. Natsu caught Kiba watching him go.

The jounin chastised his genin as Sasuke returned grumpily to the rest of the Leaf genin, and then embarked on an emotional apology that had both teacher and student crying. It was actually quite silly. When the spectacle was over, and they were standing away from the foreign genin, they were greeted by another Leaf genin that went by the name of Yakushi Kabuto.

"You guys better not stir up any trouble, as you can see, these guys aren't friendly," he smiled down at them. "Hey, is there anything you want to know about any of your opponents?" He pulled out a deck of cards. "These cards are infused with my chakra. They can tell you the abilities of your opponents," he kneeled down, and they followed. "Anyone you want to know about?"

Before anyone could say anything, Kiba blurted out, "Sunny."

Sasuke looked at him in silent contemplation while Natsu frowned. Kabuto lifted his head and seemed to be staring at someone. They all turned; saw nameless genin milling about, until their eyes settled on a corner, where Sunny stood in the shadows… next to the red headed sand nin that creeped him out so much. Sunny seemed to be talking to him, for his mouth was moving, and the sand nin had his head tilted toward him while his green eyes scanned the room. Suddenly Sunny turned and fixed luminous glowing blue eyes toward them, or more like directly with Kabuto, who shuddered minutely. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the leaf genin.

Kabuto broke eye contact with Sunny and shifted through his cards before stopping at one.

"Doesn't say much- he's not an Academy student- but he's getting training. It says he knows the very basic of jutsu-'' Sasuke snorted at this. "But that he has the ability to learn things quickly." Kabuto frowned. "It also says he has a lot of chakra." He lifted his gaze to stare at them. "A lot. So be careful," he shrugged. "Or that's what I _would_ say if he was a participant in the Exams. But he's not, so why did you ask?" He said, gazing up at Kiba, who was standing with Akamaru peeking out of his jacket.

"No reason…" Inuzuka muttered, and moved away from the group. His eyes fell on Sunny again, who was now giving candy to the Sand nin, which was odd…and yet sweet.

"All right people," a voice called, and all the genin's turned toward a chuunin, who stood before a door. "Let's get going!" He gestured for them to follow. "Anyone who isn't a participant, I suggest you leave now." Natsu glanced nervously at Sunny, who was attempting to follow the sand nin, who was shaking his head. Sunny turned frustrated eyes toward him and stalked over like a predator, blue eyes staring angrily at him.

"Gaara says I can't come," the blond stated, glaring at him. "I guess I can't help you out then…"

Natsu felt surprise, then a strange fondness for this paradoxical boy.

"That's okay Sunny. I'll be alright. I'll have Sasuke and Sakura watching my back."

Sunny gave a comical 'psh' sound, clearly thinking they were inadequate before blinking at him. He seemed like he was going to say something but he simply turned and headed for the exit. Natsu watched him go before joining his team, a feeling of uneasiness coursing through him. This whole thing felt like a mistake.

A big one.

-----------

Sunny stalked his way back to the Tower, angry, and yet confused as to why he felt so protective over Natsu, a mere human. A mere _nice _human, who gave him candy and peppermint. Sunny scowled to himself. He hated getting attached to humans! He remembered the strange green clad human who was standing on that large turtle. It had shocked him to see this creature come bursting through like some type of bull in heat- it was unlike the slow creatures. But then, there was intelligence about the beady black eyes of the turtle that alarmed him. What type of creature was it?

Then, there was the skirmish between Sasuke boy and the other green clad human. Such moves! Such finesse! He liked what he had seen, and hoped to speak to this green boy and learn his moves. So much to learn!

As he entered the Tower, he noticed that the humans moved about in a quick rush, faces intent, often shouting at one another, or speaking in low hurried voices. This Exam must be a big ordeal for it to make the humans so high-strung.

"Sunny," the Hokage's voice called, and he turned to see the human walking towards him, followed by another dark haired human. "Did you say hello to your friends?"

Sunny sniffed and frowned. "Yes, but Natsu was scared about an Exam, and I couldn't go with him."

The Hokage smiled.

"I'm sure Natsu will be fine. If you'd like, you can accompany me to the Preliminary rounds- if we have one. Sometimes it is necessary when the numbers aren't knocked down. Would you like to join me?"

Sunny had no idea what a 'preliminary' was, but if Natsu and Gaara were going to be there, he would come. He nodded in response, and the Hokage patted his head and moved on, eyes intent. The dark haired man who was following him glanced down at Sunny, and the human frowned at him. He didn't know what it was, but lately some of the humans have been giving him these looks of malcontent- even when he hadn't even met them before. Sunny responded to this one the way he did with the others- he bared his teeth and grinned menacingly. The human looked away and continued after the Hokage.

Stupid humans.

Sunny returned to his room and stare out the window, wondering what this Exam was about, and what kinds of things could happen to Natsu. Then he was annoyed with himself for spending too much time worrying about the human. He had other important things to run through his mind- like, what was his next move- or which human was he going to eat in order to collect jutsu's, or what to do about snake-human.

Two demons had just entered Fire Country.

Sunny started with a jerk, eyes bleeding to red and darted towards the forest. He bared his teeth and hissed violently, smashing through the window and dropping down on the nearest roof. He raced from roof to roof, mind running through tactics and strategies. He had chakra, and if he was lucky, these two demons wouldn't. He could use the bunshin jutsu to scare them into thinking there was more of him, then use his chakra hands to rip them apart. He dropped from a roof when he was near the village gates and stepped in next to a human female, who blinked down at him in surprise, as she handed some paper to the human guarding the gate. The man merely glanced at the papers before waving her on, not even looking at him, and as soon as they had moved from the gates, Sunny darted into the high trees, ignoring her gasp of startlement. He weaved through the branches, breath coming hot as his vision began to meld into reds, and oranges, the same reaction he had received when he had felt Gaara.

The demons were far, about where had met Team Seven, but as he dropped down to the forest floor and pooled chakra to his feet, he knew he would arrive before them within an hour; he wasn't going at the pace of a human, and he planned to rush these two demons as quickly as possible.

Then it was just the sound of his breathing, the light pounding of his feet on the earth, the sound of startled birds taking flight.

"Bunshin no Jutsu," he hissed, when he was near, and thirty Sunny's popped around him, taking up the run, racing toward a fight. He was ready.

-------------------

Tsorn and Dyadem weaved silently through the forest, and while Tsorn had taken to the trees, magnificent trees, Dyadem remained on the forest floor, much more comfortable with dirt under his indigo paws.

/He's coming,/ Dyadem said, stopping mid-stride, and climbed up a tree with a grace that belied his four paws. He weaved up into the branches and became motionless, black star-lit eyes focused on the suddenly very silent forest.

Tsorn swallowed nervously. Not only was this Fire Country a _territory_, but it also belonged to a Master, and they hadn't brought homage- at Dyadem's insistence, and now he was wishing he had ignored the demon wolf and had brought the human. He sniffed the air, hoping to scent the _Master_ before it arrived, but the wind was coming at his back and was pushing the scent away from them. His yellow eyes searched the foliage, trying to see past thick branches and wide leaves. This forest was superior to anything they had back in Krik's _territory_- these trees were majestic and tall.

There was a flash of yellow, and the demon tensed up. Another flash came and a small human youngling leaped from the embrace of leaves and landed on a branch. Tsorn sucked in his breath, eyes going wide in shock and disbelief, just as the same expression lay on the demon child.

It was Sun! He looked a few inches taller than the last time he had seen the youngling, and his red eyes seemed older, full of a sadness he hadn't had before the pack's destruction. And he wore human clothing. Before Tsorn could think anymore, the trees spilled forth- with many Sun's, all of them identical, all looking scandalized as they landed on the branch or branches near the first one. Though the wind was at his back, the familiar scent of peppermint assailed his nostrils, and he felt a tension run out of him like water.

/Sun?/ he called, and watched in silent anticipation as one of them moved from behind the others and blinked at him in disbelief, eyes bleeding to blue. All the other Sun's popped, startling Tsorn, and he could taste the familiar scent of the _source, _remembered how it had burned his flesh. Only one Sun remained, the real one, he imagined- or hoped, that this wasn't some trick of the human.

/Tsorn?/ the youngling whispered, face pallid and eyes round with shock. Tsorn felt relief wash through him. No, this was not a trick, for no human could ever speak demon-tongue, and even if they could, they wouldn't know his name. Tsorn scowled, not wanting to seem too happy to see the youngest member of his pack.

/It's about time I found you, you runt! Looked everywhere for your pasty hide-/ At his words, Sunny's face began to crumble in that most foreboding way, and the elder demon couldn't stop himself from thinking, _here it comes_.

Sunny leaped from the branch and attached himself to Tsorn's chest like a leech, and proceeded to wail loudly- that very familiar wail that used to set their teeth on edge. It still did. The blond youngling was blubbering incoherently, words like 'dead' and 'glad' came out here and there. It was obvious that what the youngling was trying to say was that he thought everyone had been dead, and that he was glad to see him.

Something alarming was happening to Tsorn's throat, a feeling he had never experienced, and he had to swallow several times to clear it away, and tried at least once to pull Sunny off of him, but the little wretch dug his nails into his sides and screeched louder, so he had decided to wait him out- and pretend that he was only mildly happy to see him. The blood bond that they had created seemed to realize the close contact, and he could feel it sizzling within him, and if Sunny wasn't being taken by hysterics, he too would have felt it.

He glanced over at Dyadem, who remained in the opposite tree, black eyes watching them- yet eerily empty, ears laying back against his furred skull, no doubt in response to Sunny's sobbing. It was then that he was reminded that Dyadem was a _Master_, and that brought him back to the fact that this was an owned _territory_.

/Sun- Sunny- let go of me. We have to talk./ He admonished as he carefully pried the youngling from his chest. Sunny released him, albeit reluctantly, wiping tears from his face. He stood before the elder demon, sniffing and hiccupping in the aftermath of his tears.

/I thought you were dead. I thought you were crushed like Krik./

Tsorn grunted and looked away from the youngling, not wanting to be reminded of his elder brother- or Tkaa and Spayt for that matter.

/This your _territory?/_ he asked instead, wanting to move away from the painful topic. Sunny's eyes widened and slowly changed back to red, which was a relief, meaning the hysterics were over.

/Uh yeah. The _territory_ was unclaimed, so I took it,/ he said, and then a frown marred his reddened features. /But then, it seemed like it was mine anyway…/

Dyadem shifted on his perch, dragging Sunny's attention toward him, and the blond seemed surprised.

/Oh! Hello. I went to Fire Country like you suggested. The ninja _are_ powerful here, but I'm learning what they know-/

/Are you talking of your suicide mission, Sunny?/ Tsorn interrupted, glaring down at the youngling. /Of all the stupid things you could do, you go right into the nest of the pack's killers./

Sunny glared back at him. /Only for revenge! They have to pay for what they've done to the pack! That means I have to learn to use my chakra like they do./

/Your _what_?"/ He had never heard the strange sound that Sunny just made. The youngling suddenly looked embarrassed.

/I meant the _source_. Chakra is the human word for the _source._/

Tsorn stare at him in disbelief, then shook his head. The child was using human words?!

/Okay- whatever. We're going home, away from this place./ He turned to head back to the border of Fire Country, but both Sunny and Dyadem remained where they were, Dyadem's expression empty, Sunny's torn.

/But I can't! I have to learn more jutsu!/ another foreign sound- word.

/You fool!/ Tsorn raged /Were you not there when the pack was massacred?! Did you not see their destructive power? Why would you dare even _think _that you have a chance against them?!/

/But he does,/ Dyadem's soothing voice washed through them. /He has a better chance than most_ humans_ do./

Sunny squared his shoulders. /I was there- when they died. I _felt_ them die. I even fought the human's who did it./ Tsorn's eyes widened at this. /I know what they are capable of, and the only advantage they had over me was their jutsu. I _know_ with some time that I could kill them!/ Sunny lowered his eyes, and an aura of sadness washed over them all. /Tsorn, you were of the same brood- you were more than just blood. Don't you want to make them pay for taking our pack away from us?/

Tsorn grit his teeth. /_There are too many of them Sun!_/

Sunny lifted his head and grinned toothily at him, knowing he had won. /Actually, there are only four- maybe three. I bit one on the neck./

Tsorn sighed and crouched down fully on the branch.

/And what am I supposed to do while you're off learning human things eh?/

Sunny was already bouncing on the balls of his feet, red eyes dancing with excitement. /You can stay here! There's plenty of food, and um, I could teach you human tongue and-/ Tsorn scoffed in reply and glanced at Dyadem, who had found a large comfortable branch to drape himself on.

/We must be very careful. Leaving evidence of our meals might bring the human ninja's down upon us, as it assuredly did for your pack./

Sunny's head swiveled around to the blue demon, and the demonling simply stared at him, then down at the forest floor, brow furrowing, apparently deep in thought. He began to make sounds, the kind that sounded like the ones the humans made, then fingered one of the necklaces around his neck.

/You speak the human tongue as if it's your own tongue now. Has the _food_ changed you?/ He didn't know why he had to remind the youngling that humans were indeed food, albeit dangerous food. Sunny glanced up at him and scowled. But it faded into a thoughtful look, and he turned his crimson eyes on the demon wolf.

/Of course. I didn't think of it before, and I believed the snake-human had something to do with it all. But it was us all along. We left a trail of human carcasses for the humans to follow…/

Tsorn moved towards him. /What are you talking about?/

Sunny looked up at him.

/The humans who attacked us. They must have been following us for a long time. Every time we ate a human and left the remains, it gave them clues as to where we were. We were careless…/

Dyadem nodded. /There are better ways to dispose of humans- my favorite way is eating all of it, but I'm sure _some_ of us with a more delicate disposition may find alternative ways of disposal./ Sunny blushed.

/Alright then. We stay here while you learn human techniques. We'll be very careful not to get caught. Then we find the humans who killed our brothers… and kill them./

/Slowly,/ Sunny hissed, and Tsorn was pleased to see the bloodlust that sat in the demonling's eyes as he fingered the strange little necklace.

/Yes,/ Dyadem agreed. /Slowly. In the meantime, why don't you tell us about all that has occurred between then and now./

Sunny nodded and sat down, fishing in the strange human cloth and pulling out some peppermint leaves. Tsorn was relieved to see that many things hadn't changed about his younger brother, but he was curious as to why he kept fingering that necklace, the one that the apparently strange human had given him some time ago.

Curious.

**TBC**

**Thanks to my beta reader, KitsuneyJenfner**

**Sunny has a renewed interest in Orochimaru upon realizing the sound-nin has nothing to do with the pack's demise. The chuunin exams will not go exactly to cannon. Sunny now has Tsorn and Dyadem's help in his quest for revenge. Dyadem's abilities remain to be seen.**


	18. Truth, Lies, and Everything Inbetween

**Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion**

**Warnings: All of the Prelim fights are short- about two to three paragraphs. Chapter not beta'd due to my own problems.**

**Chapter Seventeen**

_**Truth, Lies, and everything In-between**_

The cry of the lark was welcome to his sharp hearing; it was the sound of a forest that had adapted to the small pack of demons. Sunny crouched among the embrace of the great trees of Fire Country and gobbled the last of his meal- wishing there was more- since the elk had been split three ways. It had been a full year and some since he had shared a meal with Tsorn, and had forgotten the fun that went along with it; Tsorn had stolen his leg, Sunny had eaten his heart, and Dyadem had weirded them out by eating all the unsavory parts of the animal that they either found tasteless or gross. But it had felt good either way; eating with Gaara had been a puzzling ordeal, leaving him under the impression that the sand demon had been eating human food- a preposterous thing unless it consisted of candy. He glanced up at Tsorn, who seemed to be finding a comfortable place to crouch in the trees, and it came upon him that Tsorn was preparing for _resting._ It was a daunting realization; demons who spent large amounts of time together tended to _rest_ around the same time. Less than a day ago he had been taken by the weakness, and the thought that he and Tsorn no longer had the same time together made the processing meat roil in his stomach unhappily. It was a reminder of what he had lost, and no doubt would never see again- his brothers- killed over carelessness and humans.

Dyadem munched on a kidney and watched the golden demon begin to sulk, his pink lips turned downward as he watched the brown skinned Tsorn slump in the crook of two branches. \Did you discover anything about the _Master_ that was vanquished here?/ he asked, pulling the youngling out of the cloud of misery that seemed to descend upon him. Sunny looked up at him, the face of misery morphing into a scowl.

\Yes, though I cannot believe humans could defeat such a magnificent demon. I saw an image of him in one of these things humans call _books;_ you should have seen him Dyadem, he was taller than the mountains. I cannot see how the humans killed him. It should have been impossible,/ he finished with a mumble, red eyes flashing as he scratched his knees. \But somehow they did- or _he_ did, this human male named Yondaime./

Dyadem maneuvered his way toward the youngling, slipping through the branches with a grace that was more feline than wolf, his black starlit eyes seemed to twinkle and glitter with some unknown emotion.

\Perhaps they didn't. Perhaps they had other ways to get rid of a demon. Perhaps they…hid him..?/ Dyadem hinted, and saw Tsorn turn his lazy _rest_ -induced head toward him, yellow eyes glittering at him just as Sunny's crimson eyes widened.

\A Jin-cheki! Or a Jinchiki..?!/

Dyadem cocked his head and waited for the youngling to elaborate. Sunny bounced once on his feet and launched into an excited explanation.

\In the human village, there is this demon named Gaara, who is human I guess,/ he looked momentarily puzzled by his own words- \but he has a demon inside him. He says that he is a Jinchur- something- I don't know the word. Do you think this _Master_ Kyuubi was locked inside a human?/ To his left, in the other tree, Tsorn's body rattled as the demon shook _resting _from his body. Sunny, not noticing this, continued on, a frown marring his earlier excitement. \But why would they lie about that? And even if it was true, wouldn't the _Master_ still be able to claim Fire Country as his own _territory?_/

\Don't dwell too much on it Sun,/ Tsorn said, startling the youngling.

\Tsorn! You just started _resting_- why have you abandoned it?/

Before Tsorn could answer, Dyadem cut in with his smooth, passive voice. \Didn't you say that Fire Country _already_ felt like it was yours?/

Tsorn glared angrily as Sunny scratched his head. \Well…yes- it did. Felt like I was coming home actually…/

It all hit him then, all coming together with such a feeling of dread that he felt sick, a feeling he was now becoming accustomed to.

\Am I- I-Is there-/ he turned wild eyes toward Tsorn, who inwardly groaned. \Where did you find me?/

Tsorn scowled, looking away into the trees before glancing back at the youngling.

\I wasn't with the others when they had found you; I stayed in our _Territory_ to guard- and I guess the others ventured down here./ Tsorn sniffed thoughtfully. \I guess that makes sense- they took a long time to return, and when they came back- they had you with them. I thought we were going to eat you because…/

Sunny's face had drained of blood; he was staring at Tsorn with very large luminous blue eyes. \Because what?/

Tsorn sighed, glared at Dyadem who looked all relaxed and unbothered, then sighed again.

\Because you were human./

Sunny swayed on his branch and had to grab the tree trunk to keep himself from falling. His meal came up his esophagus and he retched, loosing unprocessed meat and bile onto the forest floor. He lifted a hand to his face and stared at it in horror. \_I'm human?!_/

Tsorn winced; Sunny's voice had come a ragged, hysterical screech, his beautiful face a mask of horror and self-loathing. \Nono! You _were_ human. But Krik said there was a _Master_ inside of you, and he was right. After three years you _changed_, and there was little about you that was human-/ he cut himself off, since it seemed that Sunny wasn't hearing him.

\Can't be true…/ the youngling whispered, and he ran his sharp nails over a hand, drawing dark red blood. \Look!/ he said as he leaped from his tree to Tsorn's, shoving the bloody hand in the older demon's face. \Look! My blood is like your own! _I AM NOT HUMAN!!/_

Before Tsorn could reply, Sunny launched himself away from the elder demon and crashed noisily through the trees, screeching and howling all the while. The forest remained silent, no doubt cowering under the fury of the youngling. Then he too was silent. Tsorn turned angry eyes on Dyadem, who seemed unperturbed about Sunny's self revelation.

\Why did you do that? What had you to gain?/ he hissed

Dyadem turned his black eyes to him, then with a flash he was that small blue flame, floating toward Tsorn, then flashing back to wolf, his face inches from Tsorn's.

\Imagine. Imagine that the humans in that village know who and what Sunny is. Imagine they were the ones who told him./

Tsorn eased back from the blue demon wolf, staring into those black eyes before staring in the direction Sunny had fled.

\He'd throw an even nastier fit than this…/ he admitted, feeling dread.

\Yes, he would. And they would kill him. There is very few of our kind left- we cannot afford to lose anymore. Kyuubi's mistake was that he believed there was nothing the humans could do to thwart him. Don't let him make that same mistake again./

Tsorn's head jerked back to the wolf demon. \Sunny- not Kyuubi. Sunny./

Dyadem moved away from the brown demon. \Sunny. Kyuubi. They are the same. But Sunny, if it so pleases you./ He moved higher up into the tree.

\And why has a _Master_ such as yourself taken interest in us?/ he asked brazenly.

Dyadem glanced down at him. \I have a vested interest in seeing that the very last of us _Masters_ do not perish. Can you blame me?/

Dyadem disappeared into the trees, and Tsorn settled himself down on the branch, hoping he could relax enough to call _resting_ back to him, lest it pop up when he was in trouble. Off in the distance, he could hear a shriek of pain from Sunny, and resisted the urge to go to his side and smack the youngling around- after he had made sure he was okay. But he supposed that it would be more wise to leave Sunny be, and let the youngling figure things out for himself, even if he did feel like strangling the thing.

----

There was a variety of emotions running through his head, some too complicated to put a name to, so he concentrated on the ones that stood out the most. He was disgusted- and he felt betrayed. Sunny stared at his muddled reflection and could only feel such disgust for what he was- a human turned demon. He sneered at his face, remembering that time he had asked Tkaa why he was different from them. He had gotten such a simple answer, that he'd simply been found with a human- but Tkaa apparently forgot the part where _he_ was a human. Sunny slammed a fist into the puddle and suppressed another howl. No wonder they had called him Uzumaki Naruto- and of course there were all those pictures of him when he was a small youngling with the Hokage.

Sunny the human. Sunny's eyes filled up with tears, and he saw that they were blue again, no doubt a human color. More rage blew through him, along with despair, and caught up in the emotion, he clawed at his eyes, shrieking at the pain, but not really caring. He'd though it was so great that he could change the color of his eyes to fool the humans- but now it only seemed a damning thing. Hot blood coursed down his cheeks as his damaged and torn eyes began to heal themselves.

Sunny moved away from the puddle and sat in the dirt, examining his stomach as his vision returned, searching for the spot where he imagined the fox demon Kyuubi had been placed. His skin was the familiar soft golden color that he was used to, but on inspection noticed a smudge just below and to the left of his naval. Sunny rubbed at the spot, thinking it was a smudge of dirt, but it remained.

A loud cawing caught his attention, and his head jerked up, crimson eyes locking into those of a crow. The bird cocked its head to the side and gave another caw. Sunny wiped his face, smearing blood that hadn't dried across his arm, and eyed the bird. Crows were territorial, clever, and had more balls than they should, and he watched as several of them landed in the surrounding trees. While most birds usually fled the area, crows had been known to attack demons at one time or another- especially if they had a nest nearby. Sunny allowed his chakra to flow under the earth just below the tree where the bird was and then with his chakra hands burst from the ground and grabbed the bird. Bringing it to him, he sneered at the sound of burning flesh even as the other crows began a cacophony of noise, angrily batting their wings. One crow even flew down towards him, but he snatched it out the air with his right hand and twisted its small head off its body. Leaning his head back, he then squeezed the bird and let its blood pour into his mouth. The birds all but screamed their rage- but they could not be as angry as he was. Lowering head back, he plucked the feathers from the lifeless and now bloodless body, then tossed it aside as he removed the colorful feathers from his own head. Black feathers would do for now…they matched his mood.

------------------------------

Natsu rubbed his back for what he hoped was the last time as he and the other surviving genin were led to where he hoped the finals would be. He still couldn't believe that they had made it out of that forest alive- especially after that skirmish with that strange Grass-nin that had bitten Sasuke. Natsu glanced at Sasuke; the other boy's face was paler than usual, lips drawn tight. His blue shirt hid the part where his neck had been bitten, but he knew there was that strange tattoo there, and he imagined that either he or Sakura would be telling Kakashi–sensei- probably Sakura, judging by the level of worried looks she was casting the Uchiha's way.

Natsu himself had survived the forest with cuts, bruises, and a subtle layer of dirt from being tossed about. And yet there was more to come. Natsu grimaced as they were led into a room where several jounin, sensei's, and the Hokage stood waiting for them. Natsu frowned; he'd assumed the finals would be held somewhere there would be seats, for an audience. He glanced around and noticed that several other tired, or dirtied genin looked similarly confused. Within the next moment, his confusion faded when the Hokage announced that too many candidates had called for a preliminary round to drop the numbers. This had amused him, until Kabuto dropped out- shocking his teammates. Sasuke had looked disgusted- Sakura sad and nervous- but Natsu was alarmed. Kabuto claimed that he had reached his limit, but it seemed to him that the genin was in good repair- he did not limp nor seemed like he suffered from a lack of chakra. Did the silver haired genin know something?

Natsu glanced around at his opponents. Well, he couldn't imagine that the Exam would get any easier. They all headed up the stairs as the Hokage settled down in a chair across the floor upon a dais, and to Natsu's eye, the old man, who was often perfectly composed, seemed distracted. His dark eyes tended to wander toward the door and a look of worry would flash in his eyes.

It was all very daunting.

Sasuke was to fight first, and his opponent was a fellow Leaf-nin, though Akado Yoroi was clearly several years removed from them. He wore a black veil over the bottom half of his face, while his eyes were covered by two black lenses. The fight wasn't going well, which wasn't much to Natsu's surprise. Even though he had broken that Sound-nin's arm and had exuded superior chakra, that bite mark seemed to pain the Uchiha. Akado had been in the process of pulling chakra from Sasuke while he gripped his head, when Sasuke managed a rather vicious kick to the man's chin, knocking him out. It hadn't been a very flashy move, but as Sasuke limped over to them, Natsu couldn't help but feel proud.

"Ah, Sasuke," Kakashi-sensei's lazy voice assailed them, and Natsu jumped to see Kakashi standing next to Sakura, whose face looked pink with guilt. Ah, yes, she had told Kakashi. Sasuke glared at her a moment before he looked up at the masked sensei.

Kakashi made a lazy beckon and Sasuke followed, but not before he glanced over at Natsu and said rather stoically, "You'd better win."

Natsu smiled cheerfully in reply, braced himself as Kakashi ruffled his hair as he passed and as he turned noticed Sabaku Gaara watching Sasuke with cold green eyes. Gaara looked at him, and Natsu graced him with a weak smile before turning forward- but seeing Gaara reminded him of Sunny. He wondered what the blond had been doing these last three days.

--------------------

After sulking for two days, Sunny remembered that the Preli-something was supposed to be taking place, and decided to go back to the village. He was too ashamed to see Tsorn or Dyadem, so he simply headed back without saying anything to them. Returning to the village was tricky; he noticed that there were more human ninja patrolling the walls, and the gates were closed. His eyes narrowed as he watched the humans from his perch in the trees, and could barely hold back a new wave of loathing he felt for them. The thought that he was- or had been one of them was almost too much for him to handle. Of course there was also the idea that they had defeated Kyuubi- no _him_. He couldn't see how that was possible; no doubt Hidden Leaf had a secret jutsu powerful enough to seal up a _Master._

Despite the grisly revelation, he was still determined to learn all the jutsu he could and kill the humans that had killed Krik, Tkaa, and Spayt. Sunny hummed the _Lure _gently, slowly attracting the human ninja closest to him; he watched as the pupils in the human's green eyes dilated, and the muscles in his face relaxing. Sunny glanced at the other humans, saw that they were looking in other directions, and took a leap from the trees onto the wall, then dropped down into the village, all while managing to hum the _Lur_e to keep the human in a trance. He stopped humming quickly as he landed, glancing back to see the human shake his head in a daze, and frowning at the trees, looking in the wrong direction. Sunny ran into the cover of the dwellings and headed for the Tower.

However, as he passed near the building he had said goodbye to Natsu and Gaara, he noticed two things. One, he could hear fighting from inside the building, spurts of chakra here and there so that he had stopped to stare in interest. The second thing happened as he stood there; he watched in curiosity as the snake human- looking more like himself this time, walked down the hallway and disappeared into a door. Sunny tilted his head in fascination; the snake-human walked with such grace and power- he could not help but to be attracted. Sunny headed for the door, ears picking up the sound of fighting and a myriad of scents, all mostly human. He opened the door, poked his head in and peered down a darkened hallway, though he could see perfectly fine, and spotted a door at the end. The snake-human's musky scent filled the hallway as he slipped inside and hopped silently to the door. Opening that one revealed another hallway, though this one had many doors and the area was rounded. The fighting was louder now, almost distracting, if not for a curious conversation that was taking place at the end of the rounded hallway, and for the fact that he smelled Sasuke-boy and Kakashi-leader. They knew snake-human?

Drawn by this, Sunny headed for the door and peeked in, seeing snake-human standing across from Kakashi-leader, of whom did not look happy judging by his posture. His shoulders were stiff, legs slightly apart, and though he had his back to him, he was sure his eyes were narrowed.

"..._I_ created Hidden Sound-''

Sunny poked his head in more as the snake human spoke and spotted Sasuke-boy lying on the floor. At first he thought that the human was dead, and he stepped into the room eagerly, but he noticed that the Sasuke boy was breathing and felt his spirits fall back down again. But his entrance attracted the snake-human's attention; by the glance he sent his way and the renewed stiffening in Kakashi's-leaders shoulders. Sunny moved around so he could see the sensei more just as he dropped one hand near the floor and put the other one on top of it. There was a flash of light, a rush of chakra, and to his astonishment, a ball of light appeared in Kakashi-leaders hand. Awe turned to pain as the sound of…he wasn't sure- perhaps the screech of many birds filled the air, and he covered his ears against the pain of such a loud sound. Over the fresh scent of chakra, he was startled to smell fear coming from Kakashi-leader, and his red eyes moved toward snake- human, who simply looked amused by his actions. His mouth moved, but with his hands covering his ears and the screams from the chakra, he could not hear what the snake-human was saying.

Snake-human turned from them, and the bright, noisy ball of light faded from Kakashi-leaders' hand, though the human remained stiff and ready. Just as the snake- human disappeared through a door near him, he turned golden eyes toward Sunny.

"It's so good to see you again Sunny. How long has it been hmm? A year?" Kakashi-leader jerked visibly, to Sunny's alarm. "I see you still have my gift. We'll talk later." And he shut the door behind him.

Sunny turned, taking three healthy steps toward the door, before Kakashi-leader appeared before him, dark eyes steely.

"Why are you trying to run?" the human asked coldly.

Sunny leaped back with a hiss, taking in Kakashi-leaders' scent, which held more aggression than fear now. He would have to fight. As his feet touched the floor, he sent the chakra hands out from the ground and grabbed the human, squeezing him, hoping for the crush of bone and was dismayed when the human popped into smoke. A bunshin- a solid bunshin? He could think no more as Kakashi-leader appeared next to him and with a spin kicked him right above his ear.

Kakashi winced, thinking he had kicked the boy too hard as Sunny's body spun and hit the dirt tiled floor with a crack, the black feathered head cracking angrily against the floor. With that blow, hopefully he would be knocked out long enough to be taken into custody and questioned, but these thoughts were halted when Sunny never stopped moving, rolling onto the floor and leaping to his feet. That one blow would have taken a chuunin out for hours, but Sunny only staggered and brought a hand to his head where it had connected with the floor. He should have been out for days, but he had not even lost consciousness. Not wanting to prolong a fight and hurt the boy more, Kakashi quickly dropped a sleeping jutsu on Sunny and grabbed the slumping boys' arm. It proved an almost fatal mistake, for even as the youth's knees buckled under him, he turned in Kakashi's grasp, red eyes burning like fire- so intense they were that Kakashi almost didn't notice as the face neared, the mouth opening to reveal a purely diabolical set of fangs.

Shinobi instincts kicked in at the last second, and Kakashi's head jerked back as Sunny's teeth snapped shut right where his neck had been. Accompanying the chilling snap of teeth, was a bark-like screech that rang in his ears, causing his grip to loosen on Sunny's arm. His face- was almost alien- that face he had seen when Sunny had eaten that wolf- completely inhuman. Sunny slipped out of his grasp, and as he leaped forward, and Kakashi made as attempt to use another jutsu, his right foot kicked out, connecting with Kakashi's shoulder.

On later reflection, he found that what alarmed him the most was that it had been a half-assed move- Sunny hadn't even glanced back to where he had kicked- and in any normal circumstances, Kakashi would have simply grabbed the foot and brought the opponent to the ground. But this fight was bizarre- and yet proved more deadly due to sheer miscalculation and underestimation. When Sunny's small bare foot connected with his shoulder, it felt like he's been hit with a boulder. His eye widened as he was spun backward ten feet and barely managed to land on his right hand and knee, the air in his lungs knocked clean out and his left shoulder dislocated. He didn't notice the pain, as his eyes were riveted on Sunny, who was heading toward Sasuke, whose eyes were open a sliver.

Kakashi grabbed his left shoulder and, jerking it back into place, got ready to jump to his student's rescue- but Sunny seemed to only notice Sasuke enough to not run over his body as he passed and escaped through the door, strange warbles, and keening noises following him. He left Sasuke and Kakashi in the room, one fading into unconsciousness, and the other trying to absorb this series of events.

He did not look forward to reporting to the Hokage.

-----------------

It was interesting watching fellow Leaf-nins fight opponents, and Natsu enjoyed watching Shino fight the stupid Sound-nin Zaku. Natsu felt only a little bad that Sasuke had cruelly broken his arm, but the Sound-nin still had the gall to come onto the floor with so much cockiness, so he didn't much care when Shino's bugs blocked off his chakra pathways and damaged what was left of his arms. It looked painful though.

Up next was Sabaku Kankuro, the brother of Gaara, and he was fighting a Leaf-nin named Masumi whom had the curious ability to stretch his body and wrapped it around Kankuro's body, threatening to kill him if he didn't surrender. Kankuro then revealed that the Leaf-nin was holding a rather ugly looking life-size doll, and he was unfortunately killed. Next to him, Natsu noticed that Sakura was shaking as the Leaf-nin was taken off the field.

Surprisingly it was Sakura's turn then. Unsurprisingly, she had to fight Ino. While they threw kunai at each other, glared, or fought hand to hand with very little jutsu involved, Natsu asked Kiba if he felt the Prelims had been rigged. Every once in a while, the two kunoichi would exchange some dialogue, and after being mystified for about a minute, it dawned on him that they were arguing about Sasuke. By this time, Kiba would mutter 'psycho' occasionally, which had actually made Shikamaru snicker. Thankfully, to stop the humiliation, they managed to tire each other out and they _both_ lost. Both he and Kiba's faces were red from suppressed laughter. It was all so silly.

After that it was TenTen versus Sabaku Temari, and that fight was startlingly short and a bit brutal, all of TenTen's weapons had been blown away by Temari's large fan.

Just as she was being removed from the floor, Natsu blinked in surprise as Sunny slipped through a door on their far right, gliding along the edge of the floor and up the stairs. He was still wearing the same white shirt and brown pants, causing Natsu to worry that he hadn't been given more clothing. What was different though, were the black feathers littered throughout Sunny's blond hair, the pinched look and dark blue eyes. Beside him, Kiba stiffened and watched out of the corner of his eye as the monster approached, passing by the almost equally creepy Gaara of the Sand. Sunny looked at Gaara as he passed, their eyes connecting, as he walked up to Natsu. Just as he arrived, the strangely sick proctor called up Shikamaru and the Sound-nin Kin to the floor.

Natsu saw Sunny glance at Kiba in annoyance just as he wrapped his arms around Natsu, astonishing both him and Kiba. Nearby Hinata blushed as Sunny rubbed his face and hair along the side of Natsu's face. Natsu went red from shock, the scent of peppermint clouding his nose. Then he was released, and Sunny descended the stairs on the left-trailed around the floor until he was approaching the Hokage. Natsu managed to get over his embarrassment enough to notice that the Hokage looked visibly relieved. Had he been worried about Sunny this whole time?

"I didn't know you swung that way," Ino's voice came from behind him, and Natsu grimaced as he turned to her.

"I don't. Sunny's from Earth Country- I think that's a greeting between friends," at least, he hoped it was. Ino raised a thinned brow and grinned at him. Natsu sighed and turned back to the fight that was about to start, noticing that Sunny was crouching on the floor next to the Hokage- he still seemed unhappy about something. Did something bad happen to him?

The fight between Shikamaru and Kin was interesting; the kunoichi used the sound of bells to trap and confuse Shikamaru- then assailed him with senbon needles. But Shikamaru, being the tactical genius that he was, had been maneuvering to capture her with his shadow possession technique. He moved her backward then leaned back quickly, causing her to hit her head roughly against the wall. Someone snickered lowly, but Sunny clearly had no inhibitions, and he broke out in clear laughter at the girl, startling everyone. Kin was put on a stretcher and removed from the floor, Sunny's malicious laughter following her out.

"Kazuya Natsu versus Inuzuka Kiba." The pale, sickly proctor called out.

Natsu turned to Kiba and smiled. "You two go easy on me, eh?" he said jokingly, but Kiba's shoulders were stiff, his face hardened as he stepped onto the floor.

"Oh boy," Natsu muttered as he followed. _I hope he doesn't forget my name as he tries to murder me…_

The fight started quickly enough, Kiba turned Akamaru into a clone of himself and the two attacked Natsu, who dodged claw-like blows using the Shunshin no Jutsu, enhancing his speed. He noticed that whenever they engaged in close combat, both Kiba's would wrinkle their nose and seemed to get angrier- and a bit more sloppy. It made him wonder if he smelled bad. This continued for a few minutes, Kiba seemed like a different person; it worried him. Kiba- or was it Akamaru? suddenly got behind him, a swipe of claws that would probably decide the match depending on where it hit, and at that moment Natsu did something he deemed would be silly. Using a Kawamari, he switched places with a bunshin and created several more when he knew that both Kiba and Akamaru would be able to tell which ones were fake- simply by his scent. It should have been a waste of chakra- except that both Kiba and Akamaru froze for a second, a second long enough to punch one with a chakra induced fist. The Kiba popped as he hit the floor, revealing that he was Akamaru.

Kiba retaliated with a kick to the gut that knocked him back amongst his bunshin who avoided him-lest he reveal which one were merely shadows. They leaped toward Kiba, supposed to be a distraction, but when one Natsu clone leaped for him, Kiba actually made the effort to dodge and retaliate. Regaining his breath, he crowded Kiba with his bunshin and attacked him with kunai. Kiba managed to dodge them, missing one in the shoulder, and reached Natsu. Using the Shunshin technique again, he dodged Kiba's claws and kicked him solidly in the face. Kiba flew back a few feet before hitting the ground near Akamaru. The proctor stepped toward him, looked down at him before announcing, "Winner, Kazuya Natsu."

Natsu grimaced, rubbing his back and watching as the Medic-nins came with a stretcher.

"Will he be alright?" he asked with a concerned frown. The medic glanced up at him with a small smile as they loaded both puppy and human onto the stretcher.

"Cuts, bruises, exhaustion…he'll be fine."

Natsu nodded and headed back to the other passing genin. The fight with Kiba was a puzzling thing; he didn't know what it was that smelled so bad. He stopped next to Shikamaru and frowned in thought. The shadow bunshin should not have been a problem for Kiba at all- it must be their sense of smell that had worked against them- but he didn't smell that bad!!! Natsu sniffed his arm, searching for B.O, but all he could smell was dirt and peppermint. He lowered his arm and stared across the floor at Sunny, who was still in the same crouched position, his dark blue eyes focused on some point over their heads. He smelled like Sunny- and Kiba apparently didn't like Sunny. Did he do this on purpose, knowing that it would mess with Kiba and Akamaru's nose? He sniffed his arm again. But still- a little peppermint shouldn't throw a match unless…the scent was actually stronger than it really was. Natsu dropped his arm from his face and stared at the floor. Was this cheating then? The real question was, did Sunny do that specifically to thwart Kiba's sense of smell? No, that was impossible- Sunny would have had to know that he was going to fight Kiba. For all they knew- he could have been paired up against Hinata.

"Hyuuga Hinata versus Hyuuga Neji."

"Aauggh,'' groaned in frustration, scratching his head vigorously. He would simply have to ask. In the meantime, sweet, timid looking Hinata was going to fight her very unfriendly cousin. What was _up_ with these matches? They must be rigged.

----------------

Sunny was pleased with the outcome of Natsu's match- the dog human Kiba was so easy to manipulate. Animals never liked the scent of demons, and he imagined his own scent must have been driving the human Kiba nuts, not to mention his dog. Sunny once again glanced at the doors that surrounded the room, wondering when Kakashi-leader would show up. Common sense told him to head for the forest- but he wasn't sure if they would follow him. What if they caught up to Tsorn and Dyadem? It was a daunting thought. The sound of slapping flesh came to his ears, and he glanced down to see that human female with the pretty eyes fighting a male human with the same type of eyes. _They must be related, _he thought and watched as they used the same moves on each other. This type of fighting was fascinating, it held much grace and form, and he could sense that each hit was aimed for a certain place- though often enough they were thwarted _It must be because they are pack,_ he thought with a nod. _They really wouldn't want to hurt one another._

Except the male did. He hit her in the chest several times; the scent of her blood made him salivate, despite the fact that he was scandalized. The blows to the chest could very well kill the female- but the male didn't seem to care. Natsu did- apparently, judging by the look of outright rage on his face, and that he occasionally shouted encouragement to her. Scanning their faces, he discovered that most of them looked either uncomfortable- or pissed; the red-eyed female's lips were drawn in a flat line.

The fight was finished when the red-eyed female and the strange human with the coughing ailment jumped in before he could throw another flat palmed hit to her chest. She was taken away, he was declared the winner- his name was Neji, and the other genin spent the next minute and a half glaring at him, until the next battle was called.

"Rock Lee versus Sabaku Gaara."

That caught his attention, and the green clad human jumped nimbly down from the stairs, shortly followed by a gust of sand, and Gaara was at the floor. The fight…was mind boggling. This human, Rock Lee, was amazing. He moved with blinding speed, at first not breaking through Gaara's sand barrier which permeated the room with an old blood smell, but then he began to score some hits after he dropped some heavy cloth-like packets that had been dropped from his body. This appeared to impress everyone but he and Gaara. But the speed he had gained… Sunny resolved to speak with this human after his fight, ask where he learned such technique.

But of course Gaara was still better, and it appeared that Rock Lee was forced to use his ultimate technique in an attempt to defeat the sand demon. The scent of blood was already about the room- it almost made him hungry as he watched Gaara's sand grab onto the arm and leg of Rock Lee and squeeze. He could hear the bones break, and smiled and hummed his approval- until the fight was stopped by the human's sensei. Both he and Gaara were nonplussed, though he supposed that it was better that the human lived another day, so that he could find out how to fight like him.

After that it was a fight between a round human and one wrapped up in bandages. It was short- quick, and didn't attract his attention, though apparently the round human lost. He'd spent the time gazing glumly at the smears of blood on the floor, wondering what it would have been like if he were to fight in this room, with all the spectators? Would he be allowed to eat their brains when he defeated them? He imagined it would be a fair deal.

"Congratulation Natsu," a familiar voice said amongst the noise of humans, and Sunny started, realizing that Kakashi-leader had snuck into the room without his knowledge, his scent cloaked under all the blood. Sunny hissed quietly, attracting Gaara's attention, and decided that it would be best if he were not in the same room. Sunny stood up and quickly walked to the door in which he had entered.

-------------------

Kakashi had much to tell the Hokage, noticing Sunny's quick retreat; his alliances already in question. Sunny had been missing for two days, his where-abouts unknown. Not to mention a traitor Yakushi Kabuto had already made an attempt on Sasuke's life, revealing that he was far from a simple genin- taking out several Anbu and using the Dead Soul technique before escaping.

The Hokage stood up from his chair and cleared his throat, catching the genin's attention.

"One month from now, the Semi-Finals will take place. You can either spend this time for some R&R, or you can spend it training. The choice is entirely yours. Good luck."

Natsu turned to Kakashi-sensei. "Will you train me sensei? The Shunshin jutsu you taught me really helped out."

Kakashi-sensei sighed and patted Natsu's head. "Ah, I fear I can't. I have to give Sasuke further training in the sharingan." Natsu nodded, unsurprised that the sharingan needed further training. Maybe Sasuke would learn to use it on people who actually deserved it.

"Speaking of Sasuke- how is he?"

Kakashi-sensei smiled cheerfully. "Very tired- I'm afraid he can't have any visitors. But don't worry, he's fine. On the other hand, I must find you an instructor." Natsu nodded amicably.

"All right sensei. I'm going to the hospital to see the others!" he waved and caught up to Shikamaru, who was slouching as he walked, hands in his pockets. "Hey Shikamaru. Are you going to the hospital too?"

The shadow user gave a small shrug and turned lazy eyes on him. "Yeah, I guess. Ino and Sakura went to see Lee and Hinata, so I might as well show up- or I'll never hear the end of it."

Natsu smiled and nodded, though now he was worried about how Hinata was doing. He couldn't believe her own cousin would try to kill her! That bastard!

When they arrived at the hospital they were told by the nurses that Hinata was still in the ICU, but Rock Lee had already had visitors. They both decided to see the green clad guy, out of sheer respect for the guy's determination. Despite the horrible green outfit, Rock Lee was _cool_.

As they entered his room though, they were taken by the sight of Gaara standing next to the bed, staring down at the motionless body of Lee.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Natsu called, seeing sand on the floor. As they moved further into the room, they could see sand traveling up the bed.

"Kagemane no Jutsu," Shikamaru whispered, and his shadow shot out to Gaara's, taking control of the Sand-nin. Gaara stiffened, staring down at his reaching hand before turning to them jerkily, Shikamaru allowing him to do so.

"What are you doing?" Natsu repeated calmly, hoping that a rational voice would calm the madness he saw in those green eyes.

"I'm going to kill him," Gaara rasped softly; they watched in silent horror as his faced cracked. "I was born to kill. That is how I know that I am alive."

Shikamaru broke into a sweat- already tired from his fight with Kin, he knew it would be soon that he gave out and the jutsu would be released.

"Go get help," he muttered to Natsu, and the dirty blond nodded, heading for the door. He glanced down at Shikamaru's wavering shadow.

"You won't be able to hold that long enough. I can't leave you alone."

Gaara's agitated face broke into a maniacal grin and his face cracked from forehead to the bridge of his nose. Natsu stepped back into the room, drawing a kunai, when someone walked straight past him. It was Sunny, walking into the room as if a deadly battle wasn't about to start, his blue eyes darting around the room as he walked in, taking them all in. He stopped near Gaara and muttered something in that language that frightened them; he heard Shikamaru sucking in a breath. But the Sand-nin seemed calmer, the cracks in his face disappearing as the sand retreated into the large gourd on his back. Shikamaru released the jutsu and Gaara left the room- almost passively, leaving the four of them. Sunny stood before Rock Lee's bed, staring down at him, locked in that strange stillness that Natsu had seen him do. The scent of peppermint came his way, reminding him of his match.

"Hey Sunny? How come you marked me with your…scent before I fought Kiba?"

Shikamaru gave him a funny look which he ignored in favor of staring intently at Sunny.

Sunny shrugged, the movement startling them since he had been so still.

"What? I cannot help out a friend?" His accent was heavy, and his voice was laced with agitation and…misery? Natsu peered at the blond, noticing that he was different from three days ago. There was a downward tilt to his lips, his eyes were a darker blue than he remembered, and the black feathers in his hair seemed to add to the feeling of melancholy about him.

"Sunny? Are you all right?" Natsu took a step toward him. Sunny lifted his gaze from Rock Lee and smiled wanly. He patted Natsu's shoulder then glided out of the room, his feet making not a noise on the carpeted floor.

"Who is he?" Shikamaru asked calmly as he stood over Rock Lee and examined him for any visible wound he may have gotten from Gaara in the last fifteen minutes.

Natsu opened his mouth, to say…he didn't know what. In truth, he really didn't know anything about Sunny at all.

---------------

The village walls were being even more patrolled now, to Sunny's chagrin, and he wished he hadn't come back to the village today. He moved from the dwellings and slipped into an alley. He called to Tsorn and Dyadem- told them that it wasn't safe here, to stay in the forest and to avoid any humans. He would return when it was safe.

If it would ever be safe.

---------

"When you are given the signal, then you can attack." Baki was saying, his one eye intently on Gaara who was staring at the wall in disinterest. A howl came, words and Gaara turned to the window, feeling excitement course through his veins.

"I can't come to you- it isn't safe. Stay away from the humans, I will return when it is safe."

Gaara blinked in confusion. He wasn't in the forest- but whom else could Sunny be talking to? Gaara dug a hand into his pocket even as the answer came to him and pulled out a peppermint candy, popping it into his mouth. No one had ever given him candy before. His green eyes traveled toward the forest, where no doubt others of his kind hid.

Gaara was excited.

--------

Kiba jerked awake from a snore as he heard Akamaru whimper on his chest.

"Wuzzat boy?" he slurred as sleep began to descend again. Akamaru whimpered again, and this time his reply pulled Inuzuka from his daze. More danger? Apparently from that monster kid Sunny. It made him sick seeing that creature play nice with Natsu as if they were buddies. His scent had been all over Natsu during the fight- the stink of him burning their noses- throwing the fight in Natsu's favor, and the poor guy hadn't the slightest clue.

Akamaru whimpered again, and Kiba dragged his aching body from the hospital bed and to the window, peering out at the forest, a mere black shadow in the distance.

More monsters?

**TBC**

**Sunny's allegiances in Konoha are now in question due to Orochimaru insinuations. Sunny now knows that he is Kyuubi.**

**As you've noticed, most of the events don't go exactly as the manga.**


	19. Taking from Demons

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion

**Dancing with Demons**

_**Some things about Dyadem are revealed- and you get a peek at what's going on in his mind.**_

_**Warnings: Mild human eating. Not graphic**_

**Chapter Eighteen**

_**Taking from Demons**_

Tsorn crouched anxiously in the tree, munching on a squirrel to keep his mouth moving. It was three hours ago that they had received Sunny's warning, and the whole ordeal made him nervous. Across from him, Dyadem was curled around a few branches, looking for all intent and purpose like he was _resting. _Occasionally the wolf demon would stir or flex his claws around a branch, so no doubt he was really thinking- perhaps about something useful. He wasn't going to bother the Greater Demon, and thought to himself that he liked it better when he had thought the other was merely a lesser like he was. He did not enjoy being outclassed at all.

\I suppose I'll have to go in there and search for the youngling/ Dyadem stated suddenly, rising from the branch he was curled around. Tsorn frowned.

\And how will you do that? You're completely conspicuous./

\Yes?/ Dyadem replied, turning his starlit eyes toward the brown demon, amusement marking his furred features. \I suppose I would be/ the blue demon said before flashing into the small blue flame and floated lazily through the trees toward Tsorn. \How about now? Do I still stand out?/the voice whispered mellowly through Tsorn's head as the Greater Demon floated before him. Tsorn snorted, rolling his shoulders before stopping the movement all together.

\The _source_. I can feel your _source_. Do you think the humans will sense it too?/

The flame flickered slightly as if a wind had blown it before it floated into the tree and flashed back into the wolf form, the branches making a slight groan at the combined weight of the two demons. Dyadem _was_ the size of a pony.

\You're quite right, I'm afraid/ Dyadem replied in chagrin, wolf-like features drawn together in an attempt at a frown. Then he sighed. \I fear I'll have to go as a human then. It is not a form I relish taking; I have never perfected it well- but the _source _is much easier to hide in that form./

\You shape shift?/ Tsorn asked in curiosity. Few demons had the ability- and all of them said to be Masters_._ Dyadem seemed startled by his question.

\Of course. Did you think the wolf form was my natural state?/ At Tsorn's accusing eyes he laughed, baring onyx teeth. \No youngling- I have no form./ He flashed into the small blue flame, and Tsorn understood, that this was Dyadem's true form. He tried to hide his unease, for demons who had no solid form often had the ability to possess other demons and humans; they were not well looked upon.

As the flame, Dyadem began to grow, stretch, becoming brighter until Tsorn had to cover his eyes with a large hand. Peeking through his clawed fingers, he watched in awe as Dyadem began to take the shape of a human male- wait female…Dyadem couldn't seem to decide as his human genitalia morphed between the two. It was a grotesque sight, and Tsorn was about to turn away when Dyadem seemed to come to a decision and settled as a human male. The brightness faded, allowing Tsorn to drop his hand from his face and observe the human version of Dyadem.

It was still conspicuous.

The human was about six and a half feet tall with skin that was too white to be healthy and indigo colored hair that rose in spikes and fell to his lower back. It was long of limb and slim of body- the fingers and toes were too long, the ears pointed like Sunny's. It was the face that was too eye-catching- narrow and dusted with light gray freckles, the lips were dark gray, his teeth remained black and his eyes were the same, completely black and dotted with those strange bright stars. He would stand out.

\Not so good hmm?/ Dyadem confirmed in demontongue. \I was never good at this form and the little human tongue I know will still sound terrible. But can you sense my _source_?/ At Tsorn's shake of head he gave a vulpine grin. \Well this is the best I can do. I'll find Sun and see what I can do to assist the youngling./

He dropped down to the forest floor, but crumbled weakly into the leaves. He stood up, long limbs uncoordinated before he began to glide toward the human dwellings. Tsorn followed him from above and sneered in amusement.

\Just like that?/ he asked, and held back a laugh as Dyadem stumbled over a protruding root as he looked up at him.

\Hm?/

\You're going to walk into a human dwelling just like that?/

Dyadem sent him a frown. \I imagine that is why I took this form, yes./

Tsorn stopped in a tree. \You're going to walk into a human area without any human garments/ he stated, wanting to clarify this and watched as Dyadem froze mid-step.

The blue demon looked up at him. \Blast./

--

They decided to _Lure_ a human to them- which was a risky ordeal since they were so near the human dwelling and Tsorn wasn't exactly the best at it- however they managed to snag a human male, who followed them into the cover of the forest. His clothing consisted of a light blue cloth over his torso and a gray cloth covering his legs. \We mustn't get blood on it/ Dyadem muttered, hovering over the dazed human before grabbing the cloth on its upper body and giving it a tug. There was a ripping sound and the blue demon immediately released the cloth. \How do we get these things off?/ His voice held agitation, to Tsorn's silent amusement. It was apparent that the Greater Demon was out of his depth. Tsorn frowned and stared at the human as he hummed, and tried to remember the times Sunny had put on human garments for fun.

\Put your arms up/ he hummed, and the human lifted its arms. As delicately as he could, Tsorn gently pulled the cloth up over the human's arms and over its head until the cloth was free. He tossed it to Dyadem- the proceeded to go through the process of removing the lower garments, until the human only wore the small white cloth around its waist.

\Will I need that?/ Dyadem eyed the cloth disdainfully, for it was wrapped closely around the human male's genitalia. Tsorn shrugged and was content in watching Dyadem struggle with the cloth and managed to hum the _Lure_ to keep the human entranced. The garments were too short for Dyadem, his lower belly showed and the cloth came above his ankles. He eyed the leather strapped to the human's feet- but it was clear that Dyadem's feet were too long. Dyadem walked in a circle, testing the limits of the garments before deciding he really didn't have much choice in the matter. \We'll eat the human/ Dyadem said, nodding toward it. \I must have the brain quickly so I can learn the human tongue./ Tsorn raised his hairless brows in awe. It was hard to glean that much information from a creature- especially language- which encompassed a whole culture half the time. But Dyadem _was_ a Master- and under suspect of being the kind that could perform demonic possession. No doubt taking on a new language was part of the packaged deal. \We must eat everything Tsorn. We won't be making past mistakes./ His black eyes stared beseechingly at him.

They made quick work of the human; Dyadem actually managed to swallow the brain whole, distorting his human jaw and throat to accommodate the human brain. Tsorn then watched in fascination as the blue demon shuddered and twitched, eyelids fluttering, body shaking, information no doubt running through his brain at a painful speed. Then he froze, blinking several times before gracing Tsorn with a nasty grin. After that he disgusted him by consuming all the parts they found undesirable- kidneys, intestines, stomach, lungs- Tsorn by then simply turned his back and ate his leg in peace. They ate the bones and even consumed the hair, until a smear, the leather footwear, and the now crimson cloth was all that remained.

\Well I'm off now/ Dyadem said smoothly, stretching his human limbs and glided through the forest, stumbling every once in a while. Tsorn followed him from above, until he exited the cover of the trees and happened upon the road. A few humans that were heading for the human dwelling stared at the tall demon, taking in his appearance before losing interest. Tsorn sighed in relief. Apparently he didn't look as strange as he imagined. Now all they had to do was get pass the humans at the walls- he would use the _Lure_ for a distraction. Then it was up to Dyadem not to attract negative attention.

Tsorn sighed once again. When had life become so complicated?

--

Tsorn managed to do his part with that curious technique he called the _Lure. _It was clearly a bloodline technique, passed down from the ones that sired Tsorn's clan. It was useful, and Dyadem would only admit to himself- hypnotizing. Did Tsorn know that the _Lure_ did not only attract humans, but demons as well?

_Highly unlikely_, Dyadem thought with a smug expression as he walked toward the village. What alarmed him was Sunny's ability to use a technique that wasn't within his bloodline. Or was it? Dyadem thought of Kyuubi, his companion of many centuries, and the familiar pang of loss at the thought of his companion's destruction. And it was like a kind of death- Kyuubi becoming Sunny, and he couldn't imagine how the human soul had taken over such a powerful demon. However he planned to find out.

Calling the humans with the _Lure_, the ninja's guarding the gate turned dilated eyes toward the copse of trees where Tsorn was crouched, one moving toward the hum. Dyadem, not unlike an animal settling its fur, shook off the strange hypnotic song and passed into the world of humans, and words stolen from the human Kaku- words like _stalls_, _merchants_, _stores_ full of _produce, shops _and_ houses_, flowed through his mind._ Man, teenager, and child, shinobi _and_ civilian_. He stopped in the midst of the human flow, black eyes drifting over the humans- the myriad of scents, sweet, sour, bitter, and floral. Human words- everywhere- a cacophony of emotions completely different upon each face of human. At one moment they could be happy, and another quickly zip into rage- a trait he thought only existed in animals. Not even Kyuubi had such instability- he was a demon that had been very slow to rage, but when in that emotion, he was like a storm; his fury affected everyone.

He glanced down at a female who passed, a _woman_, as the word came to him, and grimaced. Though he did enjoy learning new things, learning the dynamics of humankind was not one of them- not since Keiyatsutsan had taught the humans how to harness their chakra- a stupid whimsy that had caused the slow annihilation of their grasp on the Earth. Most of his brethren had retreated back to the spirit realm, sharing room with the summons that often bowed to the whims of humans. Most- not even most Masters, could travel between the spirit realm and Earth more than twice, so once the return trip was made, most stayed.

Dyadem sniffed the air, sifting through the scents, many whose names popped into his head. He sniffed for Kyuubi's scent. Unlike most demons however, Kyuubi had the ability to travel through both realms; he had been a complete enigma to Dyadem despite how many centuries they had spent in one another's company. One day Kyuubi had jumped up during _resting _and breached through to Earth, and it was a decade later that Dyadem had heard the grievous news. He had cursed Keiyatsutsan for his folly that had affected a whole race.

Kyu- Sunny's scent was about the village- the familiar musk that had clued him to Sunny's real identity the moment he had stepped into his _territory_- however mixed within it was the almost acrid scent of fresh peppermint. Dyadem sniffed about, frowning at the myriad of scents- Sunny must have been running about the village for his scent to be about it so.

--

"You from around here?" a youthful voice inquired, and he turned to look down at a young human male shinobi wearing the standard attire. His dark brown eyes examined the strange indigo haired man- who walked with a strange grace, fluid, yet oddly at the same time- choppy, like he hadn't quite mastered walking; he had caught the young chuunin's eye because he was a head taller than everyone else. He was thin and wiry, and when he lifted a hand to push hair away from his face he noticed his fingers were unusually long for a normal person. When the man turned and looked down at him, he felt the blood drain from his face. The man's face was a milky white dusted with gray freckles with thin and narrow features, but it was his eyes that stunned the chuunin. His eyes were completely black, they glittered as if filled with tears, and there were miniscule white spots in them that reminded the chuunin of a star filled night out in the country. It chilled him deeply, and he took a step back as he felt those eyes fall upon him. He opened his mouth, choked on saliva in his throat and shut it quickly.

"No," the man had a strange accent, but his voice was a soothing honey that flowed through the youth and pulled away the tension and fear. "I am from far away, but I search for a boy with golden hair…full of," his words, though soothing, were hesitant, as if he were rehearsing them in his head as he spoke them. "feathers. I search for him. Do you know who I speak of?"

The chuunin shook his head, actually sorry that he had to do so, but the strange man with the starlit eyes and honey voice seemed unbothered by this and glided away with a smooth nod, indigo spikes bobbing with each step.

A strange encounter.

--

Dyadem followed the most recent trails that Sunny had made, and was even stunned when he came across the scent of Shukaku, the troublesome tanuki lackey that used to follow Kyuubi about. Shukaku had disappeared naught a year before Kyuubi- he remembered Kyuubi had asked if he had seen his minion, the fox demon had seemed puzzled at Shukaku's absence. At the same time, Dyadem had thought nothing of it. He wish he had, for as he sniffed the scent, he could smell human within it- a great deal of human. A jinchuuriki. How many of his kind were being imprisoned within the humans and them not even knowing it? When he had descended down from the spirit realm and asked around, all that remained here whispered that the humans had killed Kyuubi. Only a water demon who spent most of her time in seas gurgled of imprisonment- but her words had been unclear, and seemed more like rambling than anything else. But when he had seen Sunny, it became quite clear what had happened. Dyadem pursed his lips. Who had called Kyuubi and Shukaku from the spirit realm as if they had a contract like a summon? What human had the power to call down not just a Master, but one of the most powerful Masters- for though he had seen many millennia, Kyuubi could not even remember a time when he had been a youngling. He had been infinite, imperturbable- it had come to a shock when he had been told of Kyuubi's violent defeat- it seemed so uncharacteristic of the fox.

Kyuubi hadn't just been a Greater demon, he had been an annihilator. He'd wiped out any demon that dared challenge him for _territory_, he held some of the largest land in both realms, and even after his demise his lands remained his. And he had taken joy in clearing out human infestation in his lands long before the humans learned to write. He'd told Dyadem once, that he could see an awakening in them, an awareness that began to separate them from animals. He'd whispered that when they began to build things, structures, and elaborate dens- places of recreation... that was when he began to wipe them out. \They're were getting too smart/ he had said to him, \and they procreate too fast. In one century I watched them go from a thousand to millions./ His words had chilled Dyadem, because all other demons could not recollect a time when humans could not build things, and the fact that Kyuubi _could_ spoke of just how old the fox demon was, how frightening he could be.

On a more personal note, however, Kyuubi had treated him better than others of his kind, for he was a demon without form, and could possess demons, humans, and animals. He was not looked kindly upon by others, for they feared him- and it didn't help that Keiyatsutsan had also been a possessor. But Kyuubi had not been a demon who feared, or perhaps he simply hadn't believed he could be possessed by another.

Dyadem walked into an _alley_, full of human refuse and humans themselves; they lifted desperate gazes toward him, bodies full of grime, stinking, and smelling of…_alcohol_… It had been so long since he had stolen memory from another creature, and the first time he had taken from a human. One stepped toward him menacingly, and he turned his gaze upon him. The man froze, shuddered, and ran down the winding alley, rasping gasps of fear left in his wake. The other humans, alarmed, hesitated before following him. Dyadem smiled and sniffed the reeking air. Above the stench he could smell Sunny, downwind of him.

As he came to another exit, he sighted Sunny crouched in an alley across from him, and was about to step out of his alley, when he noticed the masked humans hiding in the shadows about the youngling. They were trying to be still, in that poor way humans did, and no doubt they believed that Sunny wasn't aware of them- but it was clear that the youngling well knew they were there- no matter how hidden they thought they were. Sunny was crouched on the balls of his feet, hands resting on his knees, eyes staring at the dirty ground. He was that stillness that only their kind could adopt- that the humans only could try to imitate. While they no doubt wondered what the boy was doing, it was clear to him that Sunny was simply waiting for them to make the first move.

\There you are youngling/ he murmured in demontongue, whispering so that the humans' dull ears would not hear. Sunny's eyes lifted from the ground, that fiery red orange that he knew so well falling upon him. A flash of surprise, and Sunny lowered his eyes and turned his head so his left ear was in his direction. \You said you were in trouble. Why have the humans surrounded you?/

Sunny gave a snort. \It's complicated/ he murmured back.

Dyadem smiled and waited. Sunny sighed, and Dyadem could hear the humans whispering to one another in strange staticky voices, despite the fact that they weren't in hearing range of one another.

"Target remains immobile." One voice said dully.

"Why don't we just bring him in?" another snapped peevishly.

"We were ordered to bring him in unharmed," another said in a commanding voice.

"Is anyone else disturbed that we've just spent the better half of the day watching this…kid do absolutely nothing?" another, younger voice inquired.

He could tell Sunny was listening to them too.

\The snake-human- he is an enemy of this village./ Sunny's hand moved from his knee and touched a trinket that hung at his neck. \He was the one who gave me this. I thought he had been the reason the humans slaughtered my pack. When he was confronted by the humans of this village about something- I dunno what- he made it seem like he and I were pack- or something close to one. The humans did not like that. Now they've got me surrounded. Ah…what to do- what to do…/ His hand returned to his knee and began tapping them against his knees.

Dyadem tilted his head, eyeing the masked humans. He could sense their chakra, calm, a deep well just waiting to be drawn upon. He could take them, but Sunny couldn't- he didn't know enough yet. Dyadem pursed his lips. Demonkind was going to take back what Keiyatsutsan had given away. Somehow.

\There is a time for action, and there is a time for words. This, is a time for words. Explain your situation to them, it is clear that you are valuable to their leader./

Sunny's hands ceased their tapping, his head turned forward and red eyes staring at Dyadem a moment, then the tapping continued as the youngling sighed. \All right/ Sunny muttered and stood up, stretching his limbs.

"He's on the move," the humans in masks murmured. "Let's apprehend him."

"Affirmative."

Sunny sniffed as he exited the alley and moved down the road just as the humans jumped from their hiding places. Dyadem tilted his head and sniffed the air, picking up their scents, putting them to memory.

"You're to come with us kid," one with a mask that looked mysteriously like a frog muttered. Sunny tilted his black feathered head up at the humans then nodded his agreement. Dyadem watched them go, one grabbing Sunny's arm so he could not escape.

"No touching," Sunny whined and pulled his arm from the humans' grasp, startling the human who clearly did not expect Sunny to carry such force in a single movement. They tightened the circle they had around him, wary as Sunny scowled at them.

Dyadem's eyes scanned the area before he slipped back into the embrace of the alley.

--

Kakashi stared at the grey stoned floor as he leaned against the wall in the Hokage's office, waiting for the Anbu squad that had been sent out to seek Sunny to return with the youth in their custody. His left shoulder ached, and no doubt was swollen or purpled from its very unfriendly dislocation. The Hokage's lined face was pinched; he had never seen the man so distressed before, and it stunned him that of all things, with Orochimaru as a threat, Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama no where to be found, one child would make the Hokage seem twice his years.

There was a knock on the door, the Hokage straightened from his slump, and Kakashi lifted his gaze from the floor.

"Come in," Sarutobi called in his grizzled voice. The door swung open and the Anbu entered, postures stiff, something that did not go unnoticed, and Sunny in the middle, looking incensed by the whole ordeal. His hair, usual littered with colorful feathers, was now graced by smaller black ones. His blue eyes seemed more red-rimmed than usual, perhaps he had been crying, which he found hard to believe. He had seen the boy's flesh charred, meat cooked on his bones, had seen him scream, but had not seen him cry. Perhaps it was merely an illusion, to make the Hokage softer, and he imagined it would work- but Kakashi was no fool, his skirmish with the child had told him one thing; Sunny was a killer, and no doubt he had killed many people. He had told the Hokage this, told him that the seal was gone and that Sunny had used a technique that he had seen Kyuubi use when he had attacked the village twelve years ago. It was the second time he had used that ability harnessed against a human being, Sasuke being the first rather lucky recipient. He had seen the charred remains of ninja who had been unfortunate to be caught by those reaching limbs. He had told the Hokage all this and more, and the man had listened, had heard him. But what was he to do? What were they to do?

Sunny stopped in front of the desk, a whiff of peppermint hit Kakashi's covered nostrils as the Anbu backed away. Two leaned against the walls behind Sunny while the other two exited the room, about to close the door, but brief words were exchanged, and they opened it fully to allow Morino Ibiki to enter. Shit. If they were going to interrogate the kid, wouldn't it have been better to have him contained? And could he stand by and watch a child hurt? Kakashi's eyes darted between everyone in the room, feeling his body flush with a nervous tension. The Hokage's face was blank, and Ibiki surveyed Sunny as he walked to the Hokage's side. Sunny was staring at his bald scalp, pitted with the burns, and riddled with the scars and the child seemed unperturbed by this, merely curious. His strange blue eyes roved over the man, then his nostrils flared, and his head swiveled fluidly to stare at Kakashi. Could the child smell his tension, like he could smell his exhaustion?

He looked into the blue eyes, perhaps searching for fear- something that would be very sane at this moment, but he saw nothing but curiosity and a bit of impatience. He supposed it was a reasonable in a way; Sunny had not been part of the exam, and had not been introduced to the Head of Interrogation like the rest of the genin. Sunny's eyes broke from his and turned his head back to the Hokage, released his breath, and became still. The two remaining Anbu tensed, and Ibiki's eyes narrowed curiously- perhaps he had never seen a live person become so motionless. There was a brief silence that was only interrupted by the whirring of the ceiling fan, then the door opened and two Anbu brought in the Chair.

The Chair was used by the Interrogation squad on shinobi spies and missing nins. Once a ninja was put in the chair, straps would pop out and strap the shinobi to the Chair. Then, every time they tried to use chakra, the seals on the straps would drain them. A draw back of the Chair was that many had forced themselves into chakra exhaustion and killed themselves purposefully, so it wasn't used that often. It did tell Kakashi one thing though, that they weren't intentionally going to hurt Sunny, most likely simply intimidate, after all, Ibiki hadn't brought his toys- though Kakashi was left to wonder if by sight they would mean anything to Sunny.

"Why don't you have a seat Sunny," the Hokage suggested in a heavy voice as the two Anbu placed the Chair behind the youth. Sunny had not moved, and didn't respond to the Sandaime, which seemed to anger the two Anbu, and one reached out and grabbed Sunny's shoulder, tried to pull the youth back into the Chair, but the child's body did not move, as if there wasn't a one-hundred and ninety pound human trying to pull him into the chair. Ibiki looked intrigued.

"Sun, sit in the chair," Kakashi commanded in a soft voice, and it seemed as if life was breathed into the boy again, and he sat fluidly into the Chair immediately.

Ibiki sent Kakashi a sharp look just as Sunny spoke up, saying in a clear voice heavy with a threat, "No touching."

The Anbu dropped his hand from the boy's shoulder quickly just as the straps zipped out and wrapped themselves around his wrists and ankles. Sunny's pale eyebrows raised in surprise, and he tried to pull his arms up from where they were pressed down against the arm-rest; the Chair creaked and there was a sound of bending metal just as Ibiki stepped forward. Sunny's head darted up to the man and he ceased struggling, the surprise in his eyes being replaced by curiosity.

The Anbu who were supposed to guard the door instead returned to stand next to the other two, apparently deeming Sunny more dangerous, and it became clear to Ibiki that the child was, for the seal on the straps had not flared, which they usually do when a subject was using chakra. The fact that Sunny had bent the arm-rests in a barely mild attempt at escape without using chakra let them know that the boy most likely could rip his way from the Chair if he really wanted to. Instead he leaned back in the Chair and let his eyes rove over Ibiki as the interrogator folded his arms and stared down at the youth.

"Do you fear pain?" he asked in his gruff voice, waiting for the fear to blossom in the child's eyes; he'd seen more seasoned ninja break out in a sweat, even if their faces remained stoic. Many even managed to hide the fear in their eyes, resigned to suffer unspeakable horrors for their countries. Even if they had not feared pain, when the question was asked, their minds usually came up with reasons _to_ fear it, and they often glanced at his head and knew that he knew ways to make them fear it. People, when seeing his hairless skull, knew that he knew all about pain- and it made them fear him, and what he represented. Pain.

On the other hand, Ibiki did not like to harm children, and usually never had to go beyond verbal abuse before they cracked. He'd read up on Uzumaki Naruto, had the written report from Hatake, had read that at times the boy seemed down-right malicious in nature. He noticed that the Hokage was anxious, and Hatake looked like if anything got out of hand, he would protest, despite the fact that he claimed the boy was dangerous. And no doubt the boy was, if by the way he handled the Chair said anything. But first and foremost, he was a child, and hopefully, (for his own sake) prone to childish fears that would make him crack. If not…well he wasn't sure there would be anything he could do, he could tell that the Hokage wouldn't allow him to actually harm the boy. He was merely here for intimidation purposes.

The youth's lips pursed, as if he was mulling over the question, and there was no fear in his eyes as he looked up at him. "No," he stated plainly, shifting in the Chair and yanking his arm as if testing the Chair again. Ibiki blinked and rubbed his jaw. No one had ever simply answered the question. Some shouted that they would never tell, others immediately spilled their guts, and some, more loyal and seasoned, simply said nothing. Saying 'no' to a question like that was simply asking for pain. He sensed that the boy wasn't bluffing though.

He crouched in front of the boy and stared into those strange blue eyes. The boy held his gaze, no longer seeming curious, just patiently waiting. Ibiki examined his face, looking to see sweat on his temples, but finding none. He glanced at the boy's posture, the set of his thin shoulders, but found no tension there. He looked at the boy's hands, to see if they gripped the arm-rest until his fingers and knuckles turned white, but they hung limply against the metal. "Why do you not fear pain?" he asked, and he truly wanted to know. The youth's eyes darted from his, glancing around the room, falling on the Hokage and Hatake briefly before coming back to him. Still there was no fear.

"Pain is only tem-temp," the boy seemed to struggle with the word, his strange accent becoming thicker.

"Temporary?" Ibiki supplied, and the boy flashed him a brief smile before nodding. Ibiki straightened from his crouch and stared at the boy. "So you are familiar with pain?" The boy's leg jerked in the Chair, making it creak again, but it wasn't an attempt to escape or in reaction to his question. Most likely the boy wanted to swing his legs. The boy looked at him and shrugged- an aye or nay to his question. "Have you been tortured before?" he asked, but he was sure the answer was no. The boy sent him a puzzled look.

"What is 'tortured'? I not know that word."

"Is Japanese your first language?" he asked, wondering on what level of honesty they were working on. This may be easier than he thought- the boy didn't seem like he carried too many secrets. It may just be a simple matter of asking what his affiliation with Orochimaru was- and he hoped this was so, for he did not like to touch children.

The child shook his head.

"Torture, is to cause great pain to another, either for information, or revenge, or for pure pleasure." He watched as the child's mouth made the shape of an 'oh' and then quite suddenly, his mouth turned up in a malicious grin, his blue eyes seemed more purple. There was cruelty in those eyes, and though the boy may have never been tortured, he could have been the torturer.

"How do you know Orochimaru?" The Hokage's voice startled everyone; though it was clear he wanted to avoid the further subject of torture. Ibiki moved out of the way so that boy and Hokage could see one another. The shit-eating grin had faded, and the boy looked confused again, before his face cleared with understanding.

"Snake-human?" Ibiki managed not to snort at the name. "Ah, he gave me this necklace a little ago." Ibiki moved forward and stared at the small collection of necklaces around the boy's neck, and immediately picked out the one that was Orochimaru's since it was the only one that had a tracking jutsu on it. He snapped the necklace from the boy's neck, and as he turned to hand it to the Hokage, chaos erupted behind him. It first started with a deep growl that he felt literally in his bones, the bend of metal and an ominous series of snaps. As he turned back there were several shouts from the Anbu, and a voice that shrieked, "That's mine!"

As a ninja, he should have known better than to turn his back. The boy had gotten close enough to snag the back of his cloak, clawed hands digging into it as he jumped from it, leaving it in the boy's hands, just as one Anbu tossed a kunai and another grabbed his arm. The kunai sank into the boy's spine just at the nape of his neck, coming out the front, and as the other Anbu grabbed his arm, the child swung it, lifting the Anbu off his feet and sent him crashing into the far wall. The Hokage was on his feet, the three other Anbu were getting ready to use jutsu, when Hatake appeared behind the red-eyed child? and dropped his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Sun calm down!"

The child acquiesced immediately, dropping down on his butt in a display of immediate submission toward Hatake that would have surprised him if not for the more shocking matter of the boy still moving. He should be dead. The kunai should have severed his spinal column, he should be a twitching body on the ground, instead he hacked, and gurgled, and as the Hokage shouted for a medic, he simply pulled the kunai out of his neck.

The tossed Anbu stood up from the floor, holding a shoulder and limping, and Ibiki could see the cracked wall, the sheer force in which the Anbu had been tossed. The boy gurgled, blood dripping from his mouth, staining the white shirt as he lifted a hand, red eyes fixed full of rage on him and shouted, "Give it back!"

There was a stunned silence in the room, that the boy could still even talk. His voice was frightening, deeper than any man's and heavy, weighted with a black rage. Through the blood Ibiki could see long sharp teeth, and the boy's fingers were clawed.

"Calm down," Hatake repeated, and his grip on the child's shoulder tightened. The boy's bloody lips pursed over large dagger-like teeth, and he lowered his gaze to the floor just as the door banged open and a medic nin jumped in, first going to the Hokage, then spotting the bloody child sitting with his legs stretched out on the floor. The medic dropped down next to the child and reached to inspect him, but the boy slapped her hand away in annoyance.

"No touching," he snarled, and though his voice was wet with blood, it was back to the child voice.

"Sunny you're hurt. Let the me-'' the Hokage was saying before the boy interrupted him.

"Not hurt anymore," he sent a glare at Ibiki. "Pain is temporary."

True enough, when he removed his shirt, his neck was only smeared with blood, and there was no wound. An Anbu whistled behind his mask in disbelief. Apparently for Sunny, pain was _very_ temporary. Ibiki handed the necklace to the Hokage and picked up his cloak from the floor, eyeing the slash marks where Sunny's deadly claws had snagged it. As he put it back on, his eyes fell on the Chair, whose arms and legs had been snapped off. It was going to be a bitch to make another one. His eyes fell on the kid again, who was no longer looking at him but at the Hokage, and thought that the boy must have been humoring them, if he could have easily gotten out of the Chair.

"Why did he give you this?" the Hokage asked calmly, and the medic nin calmly exited the room, taking the uninjured arm of the wounded Anbu. The guy probably had a few broken ribs along with that arm by the way he was limping.

Sunny shrugged, licking the blood off of his lips. "I not know. We met in forest…he gave me the necklace. It was…shiny. I like it." He raised his hand, open palmed. "Give it back. Please."

The Hokage stared at the necklace, then at the child, whose hand remained outstretched and wanting. There was a tension in the room before the Hokage smiled gently.

"I have many necklaces, even more shiny than this one, and sparkly too. How about I give you one or two of those instead?"

The boy frowned, staring at the Hokage, frozen in that immobile way that chilled them, before his hand hesitantly dropped, and the frown cleared away to one of anticipation.

"Okie," the boy said, and actually bounced on his butt, like the last five minutes hadn't happened, like he hadn't had a kunai through the neck and wasn't covered in his own blood. Hatake let go of the kids' shoulder and took a step back, but he remained behind the kid. The Anbu spread out about the room; one went to check on his wounded teammate.

The Hokage sat down and gestured to the necklace that he had placed on the desk before him.

"How long ago did he give this to you? A month?"

The boy glanced at the ceiling. "A year I think. I'm not part of his pack. You are not…friends with snake-human?"

The Hokage shook his head. "No. Orochimaru used to be a part of this village, but he turned traitor, and now wishes to destroy it." His eyes searched the boys' just as his red eyes suddenly burst, a swirl of red, purple, then back to that strange blue that they had originally been. "Would you help protect this village Sunny?"

The boy blinked red-rimmed eyes at the Hokage, then smiled happily, nodding cheerfully. He pushed his feet under him and stood up fluidly, wiping his hands along his bloody chest. "I want to be a ninja."

--

"I don't trust him," Ibiki said after they had let the boy go, no doubt to clean up the blood. "He's dangerous- and clearly does what he wants. By the way Hatake," he said, spinning toward the jounin who was leaning against the wall. "Why does he listen to you?"

Hatake shrugged lazily. "I suppose he sees me as an authorative figure." He pushed away from the wall. "I've had to threaten him before, and since then he seems a bit more wary of me." He looked intently at Ibiki. "I told you he was dangerous, and incredibly deceptive. But then, at the same time…simple." His eyes fell on the necklace.

The Hokage nodded. "I can't spare the Anbu to watch him. I'll have to get others such as Ebisu to do that. You are training Uchiha Sasuke for the semi-finals?" At Kakashi's nod he continued. "Luckily Jiraiya has shown up, according to the complaints at the bathhouses. Perhaps Natsu and Sunny might seek him out. It seems to me that Sunny enjoys' Natsu's company, which is not hard to imagine."

Kakashi nodded; he couldn't imagine anyone _not_ liking Natsu- hell, even Sasuke liked Natsu!

The Hokage gave a small smile. "The best way to attach someone to a place is to have people they care about dwelling in it. I hope that the two boys will become great friends."

Kakashi raised his brow. "Perhaps."

**--**

Jiraiya suppressed a giggle as he stared into the peep hole, swallowing so he did not drool on himself. Occasionally he would look away to sketch a woman, mostly naked, and then write a scenario next to her image. He loved scenarios. And Konoha had some of the finest ladies, that was for sure. Healthy, supple, vibrant-

"You have a contract."

Jiraiya jumped, startled that someone had snuck up on him and looked up at the strange man, his eyes immediately noticed the blackened ones. He'd seen all kinds of eyes, some pretty, some ugly, and some just plain bizarre- but this one gave him the creeps; he could literally feel the sheer sense of time wafting from them like a miasma. He stood up, and he was face to face with the man, taking in his pale complexion, his spiked indigo hair, his gangly body. He noticed that the man had a strange stillness about him, that the only thing that was moving was his hair, and those black eyes stared at him.

_This is not a man, _that small voice that he occasionally listened to whispered, and he had to agree. This wasn't a man- it was something else, pretending- rather poorly too- to be one. He could barely sense the imposter's chakra, but what he could sense, was angry, vicious, and full of malcontent, despite the fact that the soothing voice seemed none of those.

"What?" he asked, moving from startled to wary.

"You have a contract," the words came from gray lips, and the eyes remained unblinking.

For a moment he was confused, well sure he had one with his publishing company- but then he understood what the man- or creature was implying.

"Yes, with the toads. Why do you ask?"

There was silence, a strange flicker of stars in the eyes, then the creature passed him, fluid in motion, and simply walked away. No sound came from it, not even a passing scent. It turned the corner and was gone; Jiraiya was left puzzled and mildly alarmed. Why had it asked such a question? Jiraiya shrugged and turned back to the peep hole. He'd look into it another time- right now, he had research to do.

**--**

"They took it," Orochimaru said behind the steeple of his hands. Kabuto glanced up from the report he was reading.

"Sir?"

"They took the necklace."

Kabuto stared. "You mean the one that you gave to Uzumaki?"

"No, the one I gave to Sunny."

Kabuto set the report aside and stared at his leader. His attempt at assassinating Uchiha Sasuke had been thwarted by Hatake, and Orochimaru merely seemed amused at the attempt. Except that he was left wondering, if he had succeeded, would Orochimaru still be amused? "What do you think it means?"

Orochimaru grinned. "It could mean many things Yakushi. Many things." He leaned back in his seat and continued to grin happily. "Did you know? It's not wise to take things from demons. It makes them _very_ angry."

**TBC**

**Before it is asked, no, there is no 'special' relationship between Dyadem and Kyuubi.**

**There is a difference between a Greater demon and a Master. Shukaku would be considered a Greater demon- but not a Master demon.**

**Demonic Bloodlines: Though I've never mentioned them before, all the demons have them. They all share the brain-eating ability, but things like the **_**Lure**_** is exclusive to a certain brood, such as Krik and his brothers. However, it remains an enigma as to why Sunny/Naruto can also use that technique. **

**Keiyatsutsan's story will be later discussed- and maybe his connection with Kyuubi. Evidently, this leaves room for Madara perhaps…and Itachi. Also, there will be much more blood and action in the next few chapters. **


	20. Full Moon Howling Part2

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion

_**Everything in this chapter takes place during a month's time- so this is one busy chapter! Also, I don't know where my Beta Reader is- so, sorry for the typos!**_

_**Warnings- Human eating- character death-graphic violence.**_

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Full Moon Howling **

**Part 2**

Gaara followed the path, annoyed with his two siblings, who seemed intent on following him about Hidden Leaf, apparently under the impression that at any moment he could perhaps lose his mind and attack the villagers. It was strange, because if anyone dared to ask, he would have admitted that he was more relaxed than he could ever remember in his life. Ever since he had met Sunny, Mother had been quieter, he had less headaches, and things bothered him less. The world felt less empty to him, more real- in a way.

Behind him, Temari and Kankuro bickered amongst themselves, oblivious to how much their voices grated on his otherwise relaxed nerves.

"There isn't a need to train," Kankuro was saying, "The Exams won't even finish."

"It will if Uchiha goes last. Apparently it's all everyone seems to care about around here," Temari snorted in reply. "Very few of the candidates are even worthy of being called genin!" There was a thoughtful silence before she murmured gently, "Too bad that Lee kid didn't go up against someone else. I'm sure he would have made the finals real interesting."

Gaara's shoulders stiffened at her words. The Lee kid. Never before had he been tossed around like that Lee kid had done- though he imagined that Sunny could easily work him over. How strange it was- that the thought didn't enrage him in some way. When Sunny had entered the hospital room and had told him to leave Lee be, he had been at a loss. Sunny didn't seem to care for the Leaf nin in particular, and so he got the sense that Sunny was making plans- perhaps with the other demons in the forest. The idea that there were others like him about, and nearby, made him want to leave the village and investigate, but something told him it was probably best to wait for an introduction from Sunny.

Gaara glanced up as he spotted two Leaf Anbu pass by via rooftop and turned a corner, only to stop as a man stood in front of him and before he could be startled, his muscles seized, locking up and freezing him in place. A pain like none he had ever experienced roared through his head and he choked on his scream as he felt his mind being pushed back, control of his own body reluctantly relinquished. He was stunned, as his vision became like a tunnel, and it felt like he was seeing everything behind binoculars from the wrong end.

"Gaara?" Temari sounded nervous, a state of being that seemed constant since they had arrived in this village.

The demon before him, because he was quite sure that is what he was, was standing motionless in the exact same way Sunny did, watching him with fathomless black eyes. He was tall and gangly, with pallid skin and indigo hair that rose in spikes and fell down his back, and his pants and shirt seemed as if they had been tailored for someone smaller than he.

"Who the hell are you? Get out of our way!" Kankuro snarled. The demons' head moved slightly, so he could see Kankuro, who was partly hidden behind his gourd.

"Shukaku," the demon's voice was mellow, soothing, and it reminded him of cream. But it seemed as if the demon was not welcome by Mother-Shukaku, who turned his body toward his siblings and hissed menacingly, "Leave." He felt the sand on his face crack as his siblings backed up.

"G-Gaara, you know the plan right? We're-''

"Leave!" his body shrieked, and his voice was a higher pitch than he knew. Temari and Kankuro backed up again, shooting frightened glances between the two before they turned and made a hasty retreat. His body, or more like Mother, turned back to the other demon, and Gaara felt a wave of unfamiliar disdain run through him. "Dyadem," Mother hissed, and the blue demon's grey lips tilted up in response. "What do you want?"

"Nothing," came the creamy reply. "Not from you anyway. I should have known I would see you here. Anywhere Kyuubi is- so shall you be."

"You're one to talk," Mother snarled. His throat began to ache from the strain of Mother's voice.

Dyadem smiled, seeming neither annoyed or truly amused by his retort.

Mother folded his arms and peered out at the other. "Why are you here? I can't imagine why you would descend to this plane."

Dyadem blinked slowly at him. "I would ask the same of you, but I know what your situation seems to be. However, I wish to know how you managed to be placed in such a lowly creature."

Mother grunted and crouched down on his haunches, picking granules of sand off his left arm. "I can't say. One moment I was free...the next, trapped."

"Why did you descend to this plane in the first place?"

Mother shook his head. "I don't know- my memory has faded- or perhaps, I never knew." Mother grinned. "You came looking for Master Kyuubi- yes? How do you like his new look?" Mother gave a hissing laugh. "He doesn't even know you, does he Dyadem? Poor poor possessor, friendless again. Must be such a lonely existence for you."

Dyadem's lips pursed, his black eyes narrowed. "Be silent you pestilence," his voice was deeper now, with a hint of otherworldliness as he appraised his body, appearing to find it lacking judging by the curl of his upper lip. "I'm sure I can find a way to return Kyuubi to his full form _with _his memories intact. All I have to do is find the human who summoned him."

Mother frowned and straightened from the crouch. "Summon? Dare the humans have such power over us? I think not! Not unless Keiyatsutsan has deigned to shower them with this oh so damning knowledge- not that it would be much of a surprise seeing as he taught them to use their chakra too. Why not power over us? Maybe it was he who taught them how to trap us within human bodies! Maybe he even told them about _res_-''

\Silence!/ Dyadem snarled in that guttural, sharp- and yet elaborate tongue, bearing sharp black teeth. \Never speak of it within human hearing! Ever! Do you understand me?!/

Mother flinched and cowered. Mother _cowered!_

"Yesyes," Mother snapped, and hunched his shoulders. "My mistake." He eyed Dyadem warily. "You surprise me Dyadem; I have never seen you so angry. Is it because...Keiyatsutsan is your _brother_?"

There was a blur- his sand rose to protect him, but Dyadem was too fast, and his long fingers gripped Gaara's neck like a vice. They gurgled as the sand tried to grab Dyadem, but there was a flash and a wave of heat, and his sand shattered, turning to glass and sprinkling the ground with sharp shards. Dyadem's thin face had a bluish tinge to it, veins mapping the skin gathered around his black eyes and grey lips. His face was expressionless- but his eyes promised death.

Mother lifted his arms and tried to pry Dyadem's steel-like fingers from his throat, feeling his trachea being squeezed, but Dyadem was too strong.

\You did yourself a disservice, Shukaku, separating yourself from your vessel. When I crush this human's throat, I doubt it will be able to heal the damage./ The blue demon's voice was still like cream and honey- a strange thing for Gaara to notice as his vision receded, and he knew that Mother was about to go into full form- but he saw a flash of metal- two shuriken came at the blue demon, and he released them to snatch the projectiles from the air. Gaara crumbled to the dirt, gasping for air, clutching his damaged throat, and wasn't even surprised that he could move on his own volition. Mother had retreated.

When his breathing was under control, Gaara looked up to see Baki standing in front of Kankuro and Temari, both whom looked very pale, with more shuriken in his hands. His eye that was not covered by the half veil was trained on Dyadem as he addressed Gaara.

"Are you alright?"

Gaara stood shakily, feeling quite stunned. He had never come so close to death as he had in that moment, and his would be killer stood as calmly as if he hadn't been about to crush his throat, eyeing Baki and fingering the shuriken that had been launched at him. Baki was looking the motionless demon man over, most likely trying to search out the hitai-ate that wasn't there. Dyadem's face was no longer blue or veined- his expression relaxed as he turned in one fluid motion and glided away, as if walking on air.

Gaara had never been so intrigued in his life.

Apparently Mother...Shukaku- knew Sunny- who was revealed to be the Kyuubi no Kitsune. They had known each other! Had they been friends? No, it seemed more like M-Shukaku had been more servant than friend. Gaara rubbed his neck and ignored Baki inquiries, thoughts racing. Shukaku didn't like or trust this Dyadem- and he felt that he had to agree. There was something that wasn't right with the blue demon.

--

"Natsu," came Kakashi-sensei's lazy voice, and Natsu looked up and glanced over his shoulder. His sensei was standing behind him, visible eye trained on the orange book he always had with him. Natsu smiled in greeting. "Ah Natsu, I was looking all over for you. You're surprisingly hard to find."

Natsu turned his head back to stare at the line of kunai he had been examining. "Hey Kakashi-sensei. How are you? Did you need something?"

"Actually, I wanted to tell you that I found a temporary sensei to train you for the semi-finals. His name is Jiraiya; you may not have heard of him-''

At his mentioning of the name, Natsu spun around, brown eyes wide with shock. "Oh yes I have! How'd you manage to get the Legendary Toad Sannin to agree to train me?!" He drew a critical eye over the jounin's body. "You didn't sell an important body part did you? Or your soul? I hope you haven't-''

Kakashi-sensei waved his hand to halt his good natured lecture. "Of course not. The Hokage has decided that he would be ideal to train you...and uh-Sunny as well."

Natsu's brows raised in surprise. Sunny was really moving up! Though it shouldn't be much of a surprise- Sunny was special- he could tell the moment the golden blond had slipped from the forest. He was special, and he was different.

"This is great! When do we start?"

"Ah...go ahead and meet Sunny up in his room at the Tower and I'm sure the Hokage will summon both of you."

Natsu nodded then turned back to staring at the kunai. "How's Sasuke? Haven't seen him since you took him away. Is he all right?"

Kakashi nodded and gave a small smile. "Well enough to fight in the semi-finals. He's going up against Gaara of the Sand."

"Uggh," Natsu replied with a grimace as he selected a kunai with an elongated handle and walked to the register. "That's about as bad as me going up against Hyuuga Neji. I don't think either of us has a chance against those two- but don't tell Sasuke I said that!"

Kakashi sensei gave a small chuckle. "I don't know about that- you have a lot of potential Natsu. I'm sure Jiraiya will have much to teach you."

As Natsu paid for the kunai, he glanced back at his sensei with a grin. "I sure hope so." He handed the kunai to Kakashi-sensei. "Give this to Sasuke will you? My- 'glad you're okay' present." He waved quickly to his sensei as he exited the shop. "I'm going to find Sunny now! Take care sensei! See you in a month!" He rushed down the street, waving to people he knew, stopped at the open market and bought more peppermint for Sunny, hoping it would cheer the guy up after Natsu had seen him looking so blue. Then he headed for the Hokage's Tower and tried not to brood over the upcoming fight with the Hyuuga guy. Natsu liked to think that he was one of the few gennin that didn't swim in their own self-delusion; Neji had a years' more experience as a genin, had a kekkai-genkai, while he did not, and had that weird fatalistic view of everything- which he _definitely_ did not have. There was no way he would be able to defeat him- Sannin training or not.

On some occasions, he wished he was part of a clan, with an inborn ability that would give him that one bit of advantage that a regular non-clan shinobi didn't have. On the other hand, he was grateful that he really didn't have anyone to disappoint, for while the clans agonized over appearances and honor, his mother and father worried about whether he was coming home safe. Of the two, not belonging to a clan was more comfortable. Besides, look at the Hyuuga Clan! What a social mess! And sweet little Hinata stuck right in the middle of it.

Natsu entered the Tower, showing his hitai-ate that rested on his bicep to the various guards as he ascended towards the Hokage's office- only to realize he didn't know where Sunny's room was. But an unusually helpful Anbu pointed the way and before he knew it, he was knocking on Sunny's door and waiting for a reply. But none came. He knocked again. No reply.

Natsu opened the door and peered inside. The room was a mess; several scrolls lay on the ground, what looked like pictures, and some casual ninja attire. He was startled to see that Sunny _was _in the room, sitting on the window sill in fact, staring at him with an expressionless dark blue gaze. It was the same expression he had seen him wear during the Prelims- and it was clear that Sunny was unhappy. Something must have happened during his stay in the Forest of Death. He was wearing a grey shirt and black pants that had been ripped off at the knees, and Natsu thought that Sunny could use a pair of real shorts if it seemed that was what he favored.

"Hey Sunny," Natsu greeted gently as he shut the door behind him. Sunny's eyes followed his movements, kind of like the way a predator would- waiting to see what its prey would do next. "Are you alright? You look upset."

Sunny's lips pursed, and the strange boy turned his head fluidly to the window. Something wavered in his hand, and Natsu peered at it, seeing that it was a picture. He moved close enough to see that it was of a small blond infant grinning gumlessly at him from a crib. There was only a wisp of blond hair on the mostly bald head, and three marks on each side of the chubby cheeks; Sunny was clearly one of those people who would look the same from infancy to adulthood.

"Are those your baby pictures? I guess you _are_ from here, huh?"

Sunny glared down at the picture and loosened his grip on it, and they both watched as it fluttered to the ground, lying face down. "I am not that," he pointed at the picture as he hissed, and Natsu saw a flash of sharp teeth. "I was never that pathetic little human." With that he hopped from the sill and scooped the picture from the floor, tearing it to pieces viciously.

Natsu gave him a sidelong glance, eyes darting about the room and the discarded pictures, and seeing glimpses of a young Sunny in them. "Well then," he said slowly, "What are you?"

Sunny's eyes lifted from the carpet and they were no longer blue, but that frightening red, glowing with rage. His thin shoulders squared and his chin lifted, and he replied, quite imperiously, "I am Demon."

"Oh..." Natsu blinked rapidly at him, trying to take this in. He'd never been in an odd situation like this, and had never met a person who proudly proclaimed that they were such a creature. "Okay. So um...what's wrong with being human?"

Sunny scowled at him. "Humans is food," and as he said this he picked up a piece of candy and unwrapped it, carefully examining it at eye level. Natsu paled, feeling as if the temperature had dropped by several degrees in the room- or just around him.

"What do you mean _food_?"

"Like this is food," and he popped the candy in his mouth, humming slightly at the taste.

For a full five seconds, he was stunned, then angry. "Well what? I guess I'm just food with a name huh? Am I food too?" Natsu glared, hands folded over his chest defensively. Sunny's head swiveled around and looked Natsu over with a frown, then he waved his hand dismissively.

"Naw, Natsu not food."

"What? Too gamey for you?" Natsu snapped.

This time Sunny, turned, looking quite startled at his words. "You are my friend. Friends aren't food."

Natsu's shoulders slumped, and the rise of anger and adrenaline drained away, making him feel a bit weak in the knees. "Oh...well...I guess that's okay." Sunny was picking up the pictures from the floor, stepping on discarded clothing as he moved. Natsu eyed him thoughtfully. "Well, you are what you are, Sunny and I think the here and now is what is important."

Sunny froze while bending over to pick up a photo, body turning statue-like in the creepiest way and looked up at him, eyes unreadable, no doubt thinking his words over, and suddenly his iris's seemed to burst, a swirl of blood in his sockets, as they suddenly reverted to that unnatural blue that Natsu had preferred to see; he was smiling a smile he had never seen on another human being- for it seemed to light up the whole room.

Sunny hopped over to him and grinned, tossing an arm around his shoulder, smelling of peppermint and other fruity flavors- which told him that the blond was going heavy on the candy. "Natsu is so right," Sunny all but sang joyously, eyes falling on the door. Natsu gave a weak smile, obviously not as happy with Sunny's epiphany. Now he understood those longing looks he had been throwing at Sakura when they had first met, and made a mental note to warn the kunoichi to avoid Sunny if possible. The knowledge that Sunny ate people made him feel decidedly ill. It was a knowledge he knew he would have to let digest before he could really form an opinion.

Suddenly the door banged open, startling Natsu, as a small dark blur dashed through and slammed it shut. Konohamaru leaned against the door, taking great gasps of air, before turning toward the occupants in the room, sweating and grinning, holding a large scroll in his arms.

"You won't _believe _what I got my hands on!" Konohamaru squealed, then looked surprised upon seeing Natsu. "Oh hey Natsu! Wanna see what I got?"

Natsu moved away from Sunny, who was making these almost inaudible trills deep down in his throat as he stared intently at the smaller boy. "You didn't steal that did you? Where did you get that?"

Konohamaru giggled. "From the Hokage's office!" Konohamaru was grinning widely as Natsu stared at him in disbelief.

"The Hokage's office?! How'd you manage to do that?"

Konohamaru placed the large scroll on the ground and leered at him. "Sexy no jutsu, baby! And Ebisu-sensei says it doesn't work!" The to-be genin snorted as Sunny kneeled by the scroll and poked at it.

"This got jutsu's in it?" he asked almost musically, still poking it curiously.

"Hell yes!" Konohamaru exclaimed, kneeling next to the blond. Natsu sighed and kneeled down next to them. "I remembered hearing one of my sensei's at the Academy talking about it-a Forbidden Scroll. He said there were some powerful jutsu's in here, and then I remembered how much you wanted to learn some. So I 'borrowed' it."

"You mean you stole it," Natsu stated flatly. "You are sooo lucky you're the Hokage's grandson. When the Anbu come in here- they're _not_ going to put you in the Chair."

Konohamaru scowled. "There's no such thing as the Chair."

"Oh yes there is." Natsu was staring at the younger child intently, totally missing the puzzled look on Sunny's face. "They put shinobi in it and drain them of their chakra. I heard the Interrogation Squad has it. They strap you down-''

"Oh that thing?"

Both Konohamaru and Natsu looked at Sunny, startled to see the vaguely amused look on his face. "What do you mean- that thing? Have you seen the Chair?"

Sunny shrugged and peered at the Forbidden Scroll hungrily. "It's a stupid chair. I broke it. Can we look at jutsu's now?"

"Wha-" Natsu started to say, but Konohamaru peeled back the strap that kept the scroll tightly rolled and slowly unrolled it.

"Wooaahhh," he breathed, and Natsu wanted to agree, seeing the high jounin level jutsu's written on the paper. "Which one should we start on first?"

Natsu ran his eyes over the jutsu's, seeing that most of them were too advanced for one genin and two Academy students to try. His eyes fell on a bunshin jutsu- the Kage Bunshin. "Let's try this one. It's more familiar to all three of us than all the others- and incredibly useful." He ran his eyes over the instructions, forcing himself to remember it then quickly rolling up the scroll.

"Hey!" Konohamaru whined. "We can't just do one! I'll never be able to get this scroll again!"

Just then, the door banged open and Ebisu charged in, looking rather frantic, then spotting the startled Natsu and scowling Konohamaru, with Natsu holding the Forbidden Scroll in his hands.

"Umm..." Natsu tried to quickly come up with an excuse, but Ebisu was ready for him.

"Kazuya-san! I'm shocked that you would be a part of this!" Natsu blushed as he turned his darkened eyes toward his student. "And Konohamaru! Shame on you for using such a disgusting technique on the Hokage."

At his words Sunny looked down at Konohamaru. "You must teach me Sexy no Jutsu."

Ebisu sputtered while Konohamaru grinned up at Sunny brightly.

"Enough!" Ebisu all but shouted as he snatched the Forbidden Scroll from Natsu. "I want all three of you outside- at the training grounds now!"

"But-"

"NOW!"

Natsu grimaced and headed out the door, Sunny following behind him while Konohamaru grumbled and called Ebisu rude names under his breath. They moved down the hall and Natsu spotted several jounin hanging about the halls, eyeing the trio, then looking relieved and dispersing once they spotted Ebisu with the scroll.

"Like I said, veeerrryy lucky that you are the Hokage's grandson," he muttered under his breath to the kid. Konohamaru just glared up at him.

They exited the Tower and headed for the training grounds, spotting Shikamaru standing next to Chouji in front of the flower shop he knew the Yamanaka's owned.

"Hey Natsu," Chouji called in greeting, and he waved in reply, seeing Sunny's head swivel about to stare at the others. The expression in his eyes were unreadable; he wondered what could be running through his head. Food? The thought made him slightly ill again, and he even tried- for a second- to look at Chouji the way he imagined Sunny would. Would Chouji be considered good food? Natsu groaned as they approached the training grounds and dug into his pocket, pulling out the bag of peppermint and candy.

"Here ya go Sunny," he handed the bag to the blond and watched as he gave off a strange warble that startled Konohamaru and took the bag.

"I was waiting for you to give this to me," Sunny crooned with a slight bounce, before he started popping candy into his mouth at an alarming rate.

Ebisu popped up, looking incensed, and without the scroll, glared down at the boys.

"Now, whose idea was it to steal the Forbidden Scroll?"

Natsu looked at Konohamaru while Sunny began to fondle his necklaces, and he noticed that one of them shown in the sunlight quite nicely.

"Actually, Sunny and Natsu didn't know about anything. It was all my idea," Konohamaru had the gall to look immensely pleased by his declaration.

Ebisu's face turned an alarming shade of red that made Natsu take a step back, and Sunny to stare at him. "DOWN!" the special jounin all but screamed. "Give me one- hundred! All of you!" Natsu stood there stunned- but both Konohamaru and Sunny got down on the grass and began to start their push-ups without complaint. "You too Kazuya."

Natsu sighed and got down on the grass, starting his push- ups and trying to tune out what would prove to be a rather lengthy diatribe by the older man.

--

An hour into the punishment- because Sunny couldn't see it as anything other than that- being how boring it was to push himself up and down one- hundred times- which was apparently a much larger number than thirty, when the Hokage poofed up next to the strange Ebisu sensei.

"Sunny. Natsu, there you two are. You have an meeting with your temporary sensei right now," he turned to Ebisu, "I'm sorry that I'll have to take one of your students away for a while."

The Ebisu human nodded and nudged those things called sunglasses over his eyes, and as Natsu got shakily to his feet, so did he, fingering the new necklaces that the dying human had given him last night. They were pretty- and they sparkled quite nicely in the sun...but he wanted his other necklace back. He glared at the grass. How dare they snatch it from him like that! His eyes drifted upwards under his lashes to glare at the Hokage, nostrils flaring at the scent of one of those Anbu humans hiding somewhere. He was beginning to associate them with stale blood and soap...so much soap.

"Where do we meet him, Hokage-sama?" Natsu was huffing, wiping sweat from his forehead. The human youngling Konohamaru was sitting in the grass, panting and staring at the two older humans.

"Hmm... He didn't say, but I imagine you'll find him by the bathhouses." The dying human's eyes had an amused twinkled in them while the Ebisu human sent him a scandalized look.

What was a bathhouse?

Natsu nodded excitedly and grabbed his arm, pulling him along and calling out farewells to the remaining humans.

A low roar erupted from the forest, and Sunny froze as he listened to Tsorn complain and the birds flee in terror. Apparently Tsorn was bored- which he felt bad about. Both he and Dyadem had left him in the forest by himself- speaking of Dyadem, where was he? He hadn't seen his new companion since yesterday. He turned his head forward and saw Natsu staring at him nervously.

"Everything okay there, Sunny?"

Nervousness, smelled good, but not as good as fear- and nothing smelled better than terror- and no matter that he claimed Natsu as a friend- he was still a human, and he smelled good. Sunny shrugged, not wanting to alarm the human and continued walking.

"Where we going anyway?" he asked, not sure why they were getting a new sensei.

"We're going to the bathhouses to meet the Legendary Toad Sannin, Jiraiya!" Sunny stared at him blankly. "He's a very powerful ninja- one of the three most powerful they say. Isn't that great?!"

Sunny nodded, yet felt wary. Wasn't the Hokage supposed to be the most powerful?

Gaara's scent hit his nose long before he came into his sight, the familiar combination of sand and blood, so he wasn't surprised when they turned a corner and almost walked into them. Gaara was standing next to the two same humans that he had first met him with, and their scents were clouded over with fear, sweat pasting their skin. There was another human, taller and darker, with some cloth hanging over half its face, and there was an air of consternation about it. But what really drew his attention was Gaara, who smelled of pain though his face showed nothing, and his eyes fell on the bruising around his neck. He stepped forward, taking in his expression, the hidden pain, and leaned forward to sniff his neck. He reared back, staring at Gaara in surprise.

"You get in fight with Dyadem?" he asked incredulously, startled that the two had even crossed paths.

"Who are you?" the half veiled human inquired calmly, looking him and Natsu over.

Natsu looked up at the human, then turned and looked at him, obviously at a loss of how to respond to the situation. Sunny looked up at the human, but dismissed him from his thoughts. He had more interesting questions. Like why Dyadem had tried to crush Gaara's throat. The question rang through his head in a familiar way- not the crushing of the throat- but the apparent animosity of it- as if- perhaps he knew that the two didn't get along. Which was a weird kind of knowledge.

"We really should be getting to our sensei," Natsu was saying urgently, and he was reluctant to agree.

\Perhaps we will talk later/ he promised in demontongue, and Gaara nodded, eyes unreadable.

He moved on, following the anxious Natsu, and pondered over Gaara and Dyadem. Perhaps Dyadem was searching for a way to release the demon sealed inside of Gaara. It was a thought that gave him pause, and he frowned, unsure why that suddenly disturbed him. It had little to do with Gaara, as much as it had to do with himself. He remembered that full moon, when Gaara had given him homage, that he had claimed that Sunny was a jinchuuriki too. Sunny pursed his lips. Judging by the horrible fact that he had- at one time- been a human, it must mean that Gaara had been right, and that he _was_ a jinchuuriki. Sunny placed a hand under his shirt and rested it on his stomach. The question was, what had happened to Kyuubi?

"We're here!" Natsu's excited voice interjected into his dark thoughts and he looked up to see that they had stopped in front of a closed off dwelling with steam drifting in clouds from it. It smelled of many humans, but a slightly cleaner scent, and he lifted his nose to the air to breathe it in as Natsu spoke with a human and exchange some type of metal. He followed the human into the dwelling, and was startled to see naked human males wandering about- not that he cared, but he had been under the impression that the humans didn't like to have others see them naked. Though many of them did have some type of large white cloth covering their lower halves.

They exited into a large area full of hot steaming water with humans lounging about. While Natsu looked about for their new sensei, Sunny dipped his foot into the water, then leaned down and scooped some up and slurped it down. It definitely tasted of humans, many humans...many tasty humans. Sunny jumped into the pool, splashing several of the relaxed human males from their lethargic places.

"Hey kid- you're in the adult pool. You need to get to the kiddie pool," one over-weight human growled.

Sunny ignored it in favor of slurping up water, stunning several of the occupants. It was like a human- what was the word...stew? A big tasty human stew with a myriad of flavors all mixed together.

"Boy, that's unsanitary. Get out of the pool," an older, dying human commanded.

Reveling in the multiple flavor of humans, he continued to swallow the hot water and was startled when one of the humans grabbed him...perhaps that is why he lost control- turning toward the human and biting it deeply on its forearm. The human screamed- jerking its arm away in pain as it tried to move away, only to trip in the water and fall. Sunny growled and grabbed the human by the hair, pulling it up just as another human grabbed him by the neck. With his other hand he clawed at the human's face, reveling in the human's squeal as he released his hold on the demon. Other humans began to surge forward, alarmed by the hollering, while others darted from the water.

"Sunny!" Natsu's voice came, and he turned to see the pale faced human rushing toward him. "What are you doing?! Let him go!"

Sunny realized he still had the human he had bitten in his other hand, by the hair. The human was gripping its bitten arm tightly, hissing in pain and staring wide-eyed at him, while the human he had clawed had managed to pull itself from the water and stagger away. Several other humans had followed behind Natsu, who grabbed his free arm and tried to pull him from the water. "Let him go Sunny!"

Sunny reluctantly released the bitten human and allowed himself to be pulled from the water. The humans were shouting at them as Natsu pulled him from the dwelling and back into the street, and he followed the human as they raced out of view and into an alley. His cloths were dripping and the heat of the sun felt good on his cooled flesh.

"What the hell was that?!" Natsu gasped, turning stunned eyes on him. "I turn my back for a second and you're attacking villagers?!"

He could still hear the angry cries from the steamed dwelling and watched as several ninja strolled over to the shouts. Natsu cursed under his breath and pulled him deeper into the alley. Sunny watched in vague disinterest as the human paced the area with his arms folded across his chest.

"Well," Natsu murmured grimly. "I didn't find Jiraiya. He wasn't in the bathhouse- I searched the whole men's side-"

"What about the female's side?"

Natsu paused and frowned at him. "Well he can't be in the woman's side- it's illegal!"

Sunny couldn't see why. Humans had the strangest rules.

Natsu was still staring at him. "Well...maybe he could be...but- that would mean he's a great big pervert."

"What's a pervert?"

Natsu's shoulders sagged and he peered out the from the alley, looking at the bathhouse. "The woman's baths are on the other side and there are chunin about- no thanks to you." He turned to glare at him, but his only reply was to lick his lips, tasting the blood from the human he had bitten.

So they waited, kneeling in the alley, with Natsu going over the signs for the Kage Bunshin. After he had explained that it was an advanced version of the Bunshin jutsu, that the clones were solid- Sunny was eager to try it out himself . So Natsu began to teach the signs to him, though he cautioned against actually doing it because they didn't want to attract the attention of the chunin.

Two hours later, they emerged from the alley and snuck over to the female's side, following the wooden fence. As they rounded the corner, Natsu stopped suddenly, staring at a large human crouched in front of the fence, giggling to himself. Natsu sighed and his shoulders sagged again, staring tiredly at the human. "Great," he muttered flatly. Sunny peered around him to inspect the human, unsure what it was that upset his companion.

Natsu continued forward and stopped beside the human. "That's illegal you know."

The human didn't bother looking at them- only waved his hand dismissively. "Go away kid. I'm doing research." Apparently whatever the human was looking at must be interesting. Sunny turned and dug his finger into the wood until it popped through, then peeked inside. There were a bunch of naked human females bathing and milling about. It was pretty much the same as where they had been before.

"Sunny!" Natsu pulled him away from the hole, looking aghast.

"It's just naked females. No big deal," he said with a shrug and wanted to go see Tsorn, who was most likely dying from the boredom that he was complaining about.

The white haired human looked up from his hole and eyed them.

"What do you mean, 'just naked females?'" He stood up and towered over them. Sunny could feel the power rolling off of him, calm and controlled. "That, boys, is art. It is beautiful, it's fleeting- it should be savored and drawn."

"Oh dear," Natsu's voice was faint, and Sunny blinked as he followed his line of vision and falling on a small orange book that the human was holding. It was very familiar.

"Hey! Isn't that Kakashi-Leaders?"

"Kakashi?" the man was staring at them sharply. "You Kazuya and Sunny?"

The dour look on Natsu's face cleared and he beamed.

"Yes! I'm Kazuya Natsu and this is Sunny, your new students."

The man was staring intently at him, very intently; it was a look he had seen on several human's faces, and he was getting rather tired of seeing it. He stared back at the human, lips pursed while Natsu glanced between the two of them, most likely becoming used to these awkward moments.

"Well, I told the old man that I would see you guys," the human said suddenly, glancing at Natsu with disinterest. "And I have. Now if you'll excuse me," he turned his back on them and leaned down to peek back into the hole."I have research to do."

Sunny frowned, glancing at Natsu and taking in the human's completely crestfallen expression.

"You mean you won't train us?" Natsu sounded stunned.

"I never agreed to _train _you," the human didn't even bother to look away from the hole. "I just agreed to take a look at you – and I did."

Natsu gave a deep sigh and slumped down on the edge of the path, elbows on his knees, face planted in his hands. "Well, it wasn't like I was going to beat Hyuuga anyway..." he muttered to himself dejectedly, staring miserably at the ground. Sunny felt kind of bad for him, and he kneeled down next to him and offered a peppermint candy from his pocket. Natsu took the candy and popped it into his mouth, and continued to stare at the ground. Behind them, the human was giggling to himself and making small scratching noises, and Sunny glanced back to see that he was alternating between doing something with the orange book and peering into the hole.

Stupid lazy humans.

"Why don't we do Kage Bunshin now?" He suggested, and that seemed to motivate Natsu a bit, who stood up. That was better.

--

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" the young voice called, and Jiraiya felt the cool surge of chakra rise behind him. He glanced back to see the Kazuya kid and Yondaime's legacy standing at the curb, trying a jounin level jutsu. The Kazuya kid wasn't putting enough chakra into it- using about the same amount as if he were doing a regular bunshin. Uzumaki was standing in front of Kazuya, watching as he created a weak Kage Bunshin that staggered on its feet before it poofed into smoke.

He didn't know how to feel about Uzumaki. When Sarutobi had revealed that Uzumaki had returned from the dead, he had been stunned. He would have had an easier time believing that Orochimaru had returned to Konoha in peace rather than the child still be alive. Uzumaki's body may not have been found, but it was easy to believe that he had been devoured whole by whatever had torn the chunin apart and taken most of everything from his body. And yet, here he was, a beautiful young boy with bright blue eyes and that golden blond hair his favorite student had.

However, just watching the boy sent alarm bells ringing through his head. Maybe it was the way the boy carried himself- fluid, and yet- strangely statue-like. He was watching Kazuya with a strange intensity that reminded him of the indigo haired 'man' that had questioned him about his summon contract. He remembered Sandaime's words- that Uzumaki had somehow merged with the Kyuubi; Jiraiya wanted to see the seal for himself, and he wondered how he would get the child out of his shirt so he could examine it. Jiraiya snorted at the thought as Kazuya tried again to create a bunshin while the brilliant blond stood by and watched.

"You need to put more chakra into it," Jiraiya found himself calling out, startling both boys. "The Kage Bunshin is a technique that needs more chakra than a regular shadow bunshin."

Kazuya nodded and his face hardened. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

There was a stronger surge of chakra, and a Kazuya clone popped into existence, and it looked as healthy as Kazuya- minus the sweat. Uzumaki clapped his hands in apparent delight, and a startling trill erupted from his throat that made Jiraiya stare harder.

That wasn't a human sound.

Uzumaki leaned forward and poked the clone- then sniffed it.

"Smells like you Natsu. You and chakra."

Jiraiya moved from the fence and strolled over to the boys. "You need to increase your chakra supply if you want to do more than one clone."

Natsu nodded as the clone poofed away. He turned to Uzumaki with a slightly weary expression as he smiled. "Why don't you give it a try, Sunny. You've got lot's of chakra. Give it a go!"

Uzumaki- or more like Sunny, nodded and set his feet apart.

"Kage bunshin no Jutsu!" and just as Jiraiya pondered on his unfamiliar accent, he felt the swell of demonic chakra, full of rage, hate, and a foul sense of evil. Ten copies popped into existence, and they hopped up and down in glee along with Natsu's whoop of joy.

"Damn you're good!" Natsu was grinning. "You're going to be a genius by the time you become genin!"

Jiraiya stood by and watched the two boys- or more like the one boy and Kyuubi no Kitsune. That was his chakra through and through, and as he stood there, he thought over Kakashi's report and wondered- almost angrily, at what the Kyuubi was playing at. Who the hell did he think he was? Coming back into the village disguised as a little boy? Disguised as Minato's son?!

As if hearing his thoughts, the Kyuubi's head turned to him, and the smile of glee faded to be replaced by a cold emptiness. It was a look that said, "Yes, I am here, and there is nothing you can do about it."

"Sunny, let's go to the training grounds and practice." Kazuya's words interrupted his dark thoughts, as well as the Kyuubi's, whose face cleared as he turned back to Kazuya and nodded enthusiastically. Was Kazuya even aware of the company he was keeping?

As both boys moved away, Jiraiya placed his book in his back pocket, eyes following them all the while, and decided he needed to keep an eye on the Kyuubi.

"Hey wait up!" he called, and both stopped to stare at him curiously. "I suppose I could help you out," he said lazily, and Kazuya threw his arms up in the air in another triumphant whoop. The Kyuubi opted to stare at him emptily, body frozen, and he reminded him once again of the other creature that approached him. Jiraiya felt his skin go cold. Another demon had waltzed up to him in human form. Did the Kyuubi know this other one? Was this other one one of his servants- or ally? What about the jinchuuriki from Sand? Jiraiya paled. From the reports, it seemed as if they were friends. Was this some type of gathering of Demons?

--

Tsorn was bored.

This hadn't happened often- it took much to make him bored, and he'd had Spayt and Sunny to entertain him most days. But Spayt was dead and Sunny was off in the human village- not even bothering to answer to his complaints. Dyadem too had not returned, something he was part glad of and part suspicious about. He could imagine what Sunny was up to- playing human- but Dyadem had only gone into the human village to help Sunny out. Perhaps they were still in trouble?

Tsorn groaned and moved through the trees to find a sturdier branch to sit on. If only he could shape shift like Dyadem- then he too could enter the village- not that he actually wanted to- but there was nothing like feeling completely useless to make one want to do something they normally wouldn't dream of. He clicked his claws together and thought over how long it was since the two others had left. Two days? Three?

Tsorn was a pack demon- and he would never be ashamed to admit so. He wasn't the solitary type- and neither had his brothers. They stuck together for a reason- it was simply nature and necessity that kept them as a pack. He did not enjoy being alone- the lack of company disturbed him deeply.

Tsorn stilled as the sounds of movement began to rush through the trees, and he lifted his head minutely to take in any scents. Human. He smelled humans- maybe four of them- heading his way as quietly as a human could manage. And they had the _source. _Tsorn pressed himself against the tree, blending in naturally, forcing the fear away as the first human appeared. It was definitely one of the ones who had the _source, a_nd it paused on the branches far below him- for he was up in the canopy among the leaves. Three other humans joined the first, and they conversed with one another in their strange little voices, then dropped to the forest floor.. From their scents, he imagined they were male- and they were healthy and tasty looking. But he didn't dare attack a human with the _source_.

And then he felt shame. No wonder he was a lesser- he cowered from mere humans! He glared down hatefully at them, and suddenly he imagined that a surprise attack may take a few of them out. They were completely unaware that he was above them, watching as they took objects out of packs- long white things with markings on them. Tsorn eased down slowly, one brown limb at a time, a silent descent down to them. They chattered on like squirrels, oblivious to him.

Tsorn let the air ease out of his lungs as he hung above them, body tense, then allowed himself to drop down on one human, the others seeing him at the last moment. The human below him was not so lucky as he landed on its back and shoulders. He could hear and feel it's spine crumble under him, and it gave a small gurgle as it crumpled beneath him. The other humans were shouting, and a rush of sound hit him, ringing in his sensitive ears, and he was knocked back into a tree. Following the unseen attack they threw sharp projectiles at him, but he quickly scaled the trees and sank into their embrace, grateful that his skin matched his surroundings. The humans seemed stunned and frantic, sharp weapons out. One of the remaining three was gathering up the thin white objects with the markings while the others made their human noises and searched warily about for him. Every once in a while they would glance at one of the humans and make human noises at it, and it would reply sharply, authoritatively he imagined, and Tsorn knew that he wanted this human's brain. He'd take its language and its knowledge.

The humans suddenly dashed away, the _source_ fueling their steps, and he followed, weaving through the trees like the superior predator that he was. He moved higher into the trees and dropped down on another human. It spun as he grabbed its left arm, the other gripping one of those sharp objects. The humans _was_ fast, and as he ripped its arm from its torso, it sliced his neck open. He gurgled for a moment, but did not allow the startling pain and the feeling of blood pouring down his throat to distract him as he pulled the human into the canopy. One of the remaining two made to follow him, but the leader had grabbed its shoulder and stopped him. Tsorn imagined they listened in horror as he tore the human he had in his grip apart, for they were frozen until its screams stopped (having torn out its heart). Then they took off, at a more desperate speed, and as he followed, he noticed that one was dropping small white objects that fluttered like leaves and had markings on them. The scent was acrid, and he avoided them as he followed, for they reminded him of fire. He dropped down to the forest floor, hoping to shake them up, for they kept glancing up at the canopy, expecting him to drop down on them. So it was a complete surprise when he jumped up and snagged one by the leg, tearing it off as he passed up into the the canopy. He settled into the branches with the leg and watched as the human fell to the forest floor, screaming in pain, blood squirting out of its hip. The leader dropped down beside its' fallen pack member, fear crowding the air along with the scent of blood, and the wounded human grabbed his arm and began to speak desperately between gasps of agony.

The leader seemed torn, but the wounded human seemed insistent about whatever it was saying. He watched as the human's eyes hardened, and it pulled out a sharp object and slit the wounded human's throat. His own throat had long since healed. The wounded human spasmed on the floor before becoming still, and the leader stood up, posture stiff, and looked up into the trees, searching for him. Tsorn gazed down at the rage in its eyes, and he wondered if any of his brothers had given that same look as the humans killed them.

Tsorn dropped from the branches and landed before the human, leg still in hand. The human came only to his abdomen, but it glared up at him hatefully. The fear the human felt had faded, only replaced by the hot scent of rage. The human moved first, jumping back from him and moving his hands together quickly. There was a surge of _source_ and many copies of itself appeared. For a second he felt fear, but then he saw that the copies shimmered minutely, and he remembered that Sunny had done the same thing. It was a trick- they weren't real. But then he had to jump out of the way as a torrent of fire exploded toward him, licking his right shoulder as he leaped out of the way, feeling the familiar burn. It reminded him of Sunny's _source_- though it wasn't nearly as painful- especially since the wound was healing already. The human spun a four sided sharp object at him, and he soared over it, landing in front of the human and swatting it, catching it in the shoulder. The human gave a small grunt as it was tossed into a tree and fell to the ground, but it was quickly regaining its feet.

Tsorn could have hit it harder, but he didn't want a killing blow; the brain had to be undamaged. Tsorn opened his mouth and sang the _Lure_ hoping to calm the human and put it into a trance, but to his surprise, the human only staggered to the side, gripping its damaged arm, before spitting something at him. The _Lure_ hadn't worked! He ran at the human, grabbed it by the throat- only for it to poof into a...branch. For a second he was confused, then searing pain erupted in his side and he stared down at the human. It had a long sharp object in both of its hand- and it seemed to be attempting to cut him in half. Tsorn hissed and grabbed the hands that were holding the object and crushed them, enjoying the sounds of the human's screams.

He released the human and watched as it staggered back, taking great painful gasps of air, fingers twisted and broken, blood and bone torn through the skin. The human seemed horrified by its hands, and it dropped to its knees, staring down at its damaged appendages. Tsorn moved and stood over human, and it seemed oblivious to his presence. He tried the _Lure_ again, and this time it worked; the human's shoulders sagged and it dropped its broken hands to its knees, staring emptily at the forest floor.

Carefully, humming all the while, he took hold of the human's head by the jaw, and with the other he dug his claws carefully into the scalp and pulled the skin back, exposing the white, bloody skull cap. The human didn't so much as blink, instead staring peacefully at the trees. Its heart rate was steady and strong, and there was even a slight smile on its face. He sawed away at the skull carefully, not ever having actually eaten a human's brain before but knowing the extraction was a delicate experience. To get a whole language from a creature- he had to eat the whole brain- only because it was the sure-fire way to get it. According to Tkaa, certain parts of the brain did certain things- and one part of the brain may have nothing to do with language. Thus, a guarantee would be to eat the whole thing. Plus, he'd seen Dyadem do it and it had worked.

When he had removed the bone from the human's eyebrows to just above the nape of its neck, he scooped the brain out whole and quickly popped it into his mouth, swallowing the large organ quickly. He shuddered at the taste. And before he could form an opinion, pain shot through his head, and with it- knowledge. Sounds- that were now words- words that were now meanings, raced through his mind. It was shocking- it was amazing- Tsorn took a gasp of air, yellow eyes wide. He stumbled unsteadily on his feet and crouched down next to the brainless human body- a human named Hashida Kohei of Otogakure- a strange name.

There were shouts, and Tsorn's head swiveled around, aware that other humans were coming. Damn- Hashida had called for back-up and he had left bodies behind. Dyadem was going to be pissed. As he soared into the canopy, he heard one of the humans hiss, "I smell blood."

He could sense the _source_ about them- or what was it called? Chakra? and he opted to flee, not wanting to fight more of them, and as he retreated, Tsorn felt a great sense of accomplishment. He felt good- and quite superior. He'd taken on four human _ninjas _all on his own.

The others would be impressed.

--

Kakashi stopped and let Sasuke rest, watching his brooding student bend over and lean his hands against his legs as he panted. Sasuke was one of the fastest learners he knew, and yes, most of it was due to the Sharingan- but the honest rest was due to sheer determination. He liked students who took their lives seriously, and their occupations. He rather thought he was one of the lucky jounin sensei who managed to receive a balanced and mild tempered team (Natsu and Sakura made up for Sasuke's faults). Two of the three managed to get in the semi-finals- his was the only team in the Rookie Nine to actually have more than one. He was proud, and he had a right to be.

He grinned cheerful at his exhausted student just as he sensed a presence approach. His eye darted about the area, taking in the rocks and the distant trees and settled on the figure that glided toward them, a familiar glide that should have been on a smaller person. Sasuke lifted his head as he too noticed the person approaching them, and both sensei and student took in the presence that moved toward them as if it were walking on air.

The man was tall and lanky, with spiky blue hair that rose up and fell back to disappear over his shoulders. He wore a pale blue shirt that seemed a bit short and grey pants that stopped just above his ankles, and his feet were bare, covered in dirt.

It was his face, however, that was disturbing, for he had no iris'- his eyes were a complete glittering black. His face was a milky white with some pale freckles dusted over it that made it seem a tad bit more friendly, and the lips were a curious grey. He moved fluidly up to them, then stopped directly in front of Kakashi, staring into his exposed eye, and of course, Kakashi knew, that this was a demon.

"You have a contract," came the voice, and Kakashi had a moment to think that if that voice had been put in a pill, no one would buy illegal drugs again. Then he managed to think on the actual words, and for a moment he was confused.

"What?"

The 'man's' head cocked in the exact same way he had seen Sunny do, and Kakashi could swear there were little stars winking out those black eyes. It was chilling.

"You have a contract."

Kakashi blinked several times, and as his mind raced, he finally came to an understanding.

"A summoning contract? Yes, I do, with dogs. Why do you ask?"

But the 'man' seemed to lose interest and simply glided away at a very sedate pace, as if he had all the time in the world and he planned to use it up walking. Kakashi blinked several times before he noticed that Sasuke was staring intently at him.

"What?"

--

The next few weeks for Sunny were anything but boring, as he was tossed between Ebisu, and Jiraiya, one moment with Konohamaru as his partner, then another with Natsu. Both were interesting humans; Konohamaru had a penchant for getting them into trouble- he had taught Sunny how to do the Sexy no Jutsu, and together they'd pop up on unsuspecting humans and make the males want to flustered. It was incredibly amusing, because he enjoyed watching them talk around useless tongues, and watched as their faces flushed and their skin heat up. They babbled nonsense and seemed not to know half of what they said, though from the stunned looks Konohamaru would occasionally send them, it must have been something good.

He had asked, then-what "wanna go mess around" meant, because he was sure they were using the word _mess_ in a completely different context than what he knew, and it sent Konohamaru stuttering and blushing, until it all became clear that the human male clearly wanted to mate with him. That had taken all the fun out of that though, and he had declined to join Konohamaru in his 'human mating baiting' game ever again- which was okay because Konohamaru didn't seem to want to do it anymore either, judging by the occasional green tinge to his skin whenever he seemed to think on it.

Natsu, however, wasn't about getting into trouble, and he took the training with the human Jiraiya very seriously. He was still worried about this fight with a human named Hyuuga- who Natsu had to keep reminding him, was the white eyed human male. Though he didn't mention it to the human Jiraiya, it was what seemed to drive him to work so hard, and he did, increasing his chakra by standing sideways on walls as long as he could- or standing on water. Sunny himself had no problem with chakra or its control, so the human Jiraiya was teaching him 'martial arts' to his complete delight. He had babbled to Natsu on how much he had enjoyed watching the green human fight- Rock Lee was his name. Not soon after that, Jiraiya had offered to show him some styles.

Unfortunately, he did not like Jiraiya. The large human was incredibly wary of him, and whenever he would use his chakra, he could smell the hate coming off of him. When he looked at the human, he could sense that he wasn't really seeing him, and it took some time for him to realize that the human was thinking of Kyuubi. Though he believed that he _was _in fact a Nine Tailed Fox Demon, he could not say that he was _Kyuubi. _He was Sunny, and though he may know some things that did not belong to his own mind, he was clearly separate from Kyuubi. Hell, he didn't even have any tails!-which he wondered about, and had spent many hours staring at his tail bone, wondering if he would one day sprout a tail or two. Or nine...

When training was done for the day, Natsu would take him over to where he lived, and there he had met Natsu's _mother_ and _father_. His mother had lovely, silky black hair that he liked to touch-(which seemed to please her) and had a plump body. Natsu looked more like his father, having his hair color and build. They were not ninjas. They were both very friendly, and the mother had even given him some colorful clothes, and had told him all the color's names. He really liked orange. She'd even given him this article of clothing called _shorts, _that let his legs free, which was quite nice, and it was a vibrant shade of purple- but Natsu had come in and seemed completely horrified at the sight of him. Natsu had argued with his mother, throwing around a lot of words like 'self-esteem', 'respect', and a lot of 'you're humiliating hims' about.

Apparently the shorts were only for females, and so was the pink shirt that was so very soft- 'silk' his mother had said, and he was forced to take everything off. He did manage to keep the orange shirt- which was happily a male's shirt, but he was back to pulling his pants up to his knees. She did give him necklaces and bracelets, which seemed to put Natsu in physical agony, but he refused to give them up, especially the bracelets since Sasuke-boy had burned all of his off.

He did see Dyadem occasionally, though the blue demon seemed preoccupied by something, and had apparently taken to wandering the village. He had asked about Gaara, but Dyadem would always skirt the subject- or at the most insist that Gaara needed to learn respect. And so he let it go, but mostly because Gaara himself didn't seem to want to talk about it either, so he imagined that the sand demon was embarrassed and that there was no reason to keep prying. So while he spent the days with humans, he spent the nights with Gaara, and they did things like play hide and seek, and rough each other up, though he was careful not to bite Gaara. He was aware that the other didn't heal as fast as he should judging by the fading marks on his neck, and came to the conclusion that a bite would cause the jinchuuriki more problems than they cared for him to have.

He had, to his complete pleasure, gotten to see the end result of his bite, when while heading to the training grounds with Konohamaru, they had passed a large building full of sick and wounded humans. He had spotted the human first by scent- then by sight, the human he had bitten in the bathhouse, and noticed that the man had his arm held up in some type of contraption, and from the elbow down, there was nothing. He had lost his forearm, no doubt having waited too long to removed the dying flesh. The decaying must have spread too deep into his flesh. The man had spotted him, and his face had turned an interesting shade of white, and terror had come off of him in waves. He had fled back into the building, but Sunny hadn't stuck around to see what would happen.

The closer it came to the semi-finals of the Chunin Exam, the more distraught Natsu seemed to become, to the point that he offered to find the human and kill him for him, which only seemed to make Natsu more upset.

--

That morning, as the sun came up and the village began to stir, Sunny grinned at the cerulean sky, staring avidly at the pale, swollen moon that hung low in the sky. He was absolutely tickled by the fact that this was going to be his first full moon with Tsorn in a year. Though Tsorn had never participated in the worshiping, Sunny hoped to get him to join them- them being Gaara- and hopefully the mysteriously absent Dyadem.

He started the morning first by showering and pulling the black feathers from his hair- he'd seen some feathers at the market and had wanted some, but Natsu had said that he needed _money _to buy one. He'd been unfamiliar with the word, and Natsu had gone into a rather dark explanation of its use-(many of his explanations had been dark due to the coming semi-finals).

"Sunny," he had said, showing him the ryo, "what you're seeing here is the root of all evil." This had stunned him, and he'd stared down at the metal pieces skeptically. "Sure, I bet you're thinking, it's just some metal and trees, but I assure you- people will lie to you, cheat you, steal from you, betray you, harm you, and even kill you, for this stuff. People do terrible things in the name of money. This stuff makes the world go round- its the universal language- it's the all-worshiped religion. You watch out for this stuff, ya hear?"

He'd nodded, only so he could move on to another subject that wasn't so weird, and had felt awkward when Natsu had given the money to him. Like he'd actually wanted to use it after all of that! But he'd pocketed it, and now planned to buy one of those large colorful feathers, that shown blue and green and looked like there was an eye in the middle.

He took a shower, which he enjoyed greatly, then dressed in his new orange shirt and brown pants- that he rolled up to his knees, then headed out into the village, beaming occasionally at the moon. When he arrived at the stall, there were many of them, and purchased five in all, then went into an alley so that he could decorate his hair. He found that the stems were too long and had to cut them so that the feather was much shorter, and when he left the alley, was pleased by the occasional reaction by passing females. Then he went to Natsu's dwelling and climbed up the side of his dwelling and peered into the window, expecting to see Natsu rummaging around, but instead the human was laying in bed with something large and red settled on his forehead and something sticking out of his mouth.

Sunny pushed the window open and slipped inside, noticing that Natsu opened an eye a sliver to peer at him before closing it. Ah...the human was ill-well, at least he smelled ill, and his body temperature was high. He moved over to Natsu's side and sat down on a chair that sat at the bedside.

"What happened Natsu?" he asked, but turned his head toward the door as he heard Natsu's mother approach the door and enter. She saw him and smiled.

"Sunny, wow, look what you did to your hair! I don't know how you manage to pull things like this off," she complimented as she touch one of the feathers. "Peacock feathers! Wow. Natsu, you should try this sometime."

Natsu's only reply was a groan.

"What's the matter with Natsu?" he asked the human female.

She sighed and removed the strange red object from Natsu's forehead, and Sunny heard it slosh with what appeared to be water. "Natsu's worried himself sick, that's what! All this nonsense over some Ninja Exam-''

"S'not nonsense," Natsu muttered around the strange clear stick in his mouth and his mother pulled it out and looked at it.

"Oh dear. One hundred and two. Darling, you're sick. You'll have to stay in bed until you're aaallll better," and there was a look of glee on her face as Natsu gave out a long pathetic moan. She looked and Sunny and gave a sympathetic smile. "Sweetie, I'm sorry but you're going to have to leave. Natsu could be contagious and I don't want you to get sick too."

Sunny looked at Natsu, who opened an eye to peer at him again, then groaned at his inquiring look. Sunny shrugged then hopped over to the window.

"Tomorrow then," he said, then jumped out. He decided to go look for Konohamaru, and after wandering about the village, managed to find him sitting with his two small human friends Udon and Moegi. Both stared at him in awe while Konohamaru stared dejectedly at the ground. Sunny then noticed that his foot was wrapped in white stuff.

"What on your leg, Konoha?"

"It's Konohamaru!" he moaned and finally looked up at him. "Oh Sunny, it's terrible!" he all but wailed. "I was pulling the perfect prank when Ebisu sensei found me, and I tried to hop over this fence but it was rotting and it broke, and I broke my ankle." Sunny stared at the foot that was wrapped up.

Why'd they do that to it, though? He wondered.

But Konohamaru apparently had some type of answer. "They took me to the hospital but they said that they won't heal it! Can you believe that?! It's some kind of sick punishment to teach me about not playing pranks!"

And he continued on with his diatribe until Sunny lost interest and he wandered away in search of Dyadem, who he hadn't seen in days. It turned out though, that as he traveled about the village following his scent, that Dyadem had been all over Konohagakure, and all the trails seemed strangely confusing. After the frustration of not finding his blue companion, Sunny found a dog to eat and then settled into a tree to do some human watching. Then, an hour past noon _resting_ came and he stayed there, eyes lazy upon the beautiful moon, and remained unnoticed by the humans.

--

When _resting_ lifted the sun had dropped to the horizon and the moon already shown brightly; Sunny dropped from the tree and headed toward the tall dwelling he knew Gaara was staying. He had enjoyed the last full moon with his sand companion, and hoped to introduce him to Tsorn, who, as he thought of him, had been rather quiet these last few weeks. He scaled a few dwellings and spotted Gaara sitting on the rooftop, cradling his head, face twisted in pain. As Sunny approached, Gaara's head snapped up, and desperate eyes fell on him. Sunny stopped at his side and looked down at him.

Immediately the cracks on his face began to fade, and his hunched shoulders loosened. Gaara wiped his bruised eyes and blinked wearily up at him. "I don't know what it is about you...that takes away the pain," his raspy voice whispered, and he shook his head as if to clear away the cobwebs in his mind.

\Come on Gaara/ Sunny beckoned excitedly. \It's a full moon! Let's go into the forest and play!/ Already he felt the intense call, the pull in his blood, and he was eager to head into the forest. Gaara got to his feet and looked inquiringly at him, and he pointed in the direction of the forest. \Go there, and you'll meet up with Tsorn- don't make him mad. I'm going to look for Dyadem, and then I'll meet you there./

Gaara nodded and leaped away, heading for the forest. Sunny watched him go for a moment, and as he turned to search for Dyadem, spotted a human following Gaara silently in the shadows. Sunny frowned and sniffed the air, but he was upwind and he could only smell wood, smoke, and many of the scents that dwelled in the village. But the human looked vaguely familiar, and it was following Gaara.

Jumping down from the dwelling, Sunny dashed quickly and silently around dwellings and fences, slipping through the shadows until he had caught up to the human, and in one sniff managed to recognize the familiar scent. It was one the human's from the Prelims- the one that had fought the fat one. Along with his scent he could smell malice and the intent to kill. Sunny eyes bled to red and he felt his nails harden. He wasn't going to let a human attack one of his own again.

Gaara crossed the training grounds and disappeared beneath the dirt, and Sunny could feel that the jinchuuriki was heading for the walls, no doubt deciding to go under the wall instead of going over.

"Damn!" the human ground out, stopping at the spot where Gaara had disappeared. Sunny rushed him, claws out, prepared to rip the human apart, but he sensed the attack and leaped out of the way, at the same time throwing kunai at him. "Who the hell are you?" he snapped as Sunny dodged the kunai.

The moon was higher in the night sky, his blood pumped faster, and his vision began to sink into the reds and oranges. He growled deeply and jumped at the human just as it shouted "Kyomeisen no Jutsu!" and he swung his arm at Sunny.

Pain exploded in Sunny's left ear, and he stumble and fell into the dirt, feeling blood trickled out of the ear, and a loud ringing echoing throughout his head. He jumped to his feet as the human threw a shuriken at him, but colors blurred together, and he felt completely dizzy; the shuriken sliced his arm as it passed. The human leaped at him, kunai in hand; Sunny summoned his chakra hands that burst from the ground and snatched at human. But he missed! The human collided into him, two kunai digging into his chest and puncturing his lungs. They fell back into the dirt, the human on top of him, and the chakra hand fell into the ground, disappearing.

He got a good look at the human, when his eyes finally stopped crossing, and the hearing in his ear returned, noticing that the human had his face completely wrapped except for his left eye, that gleamed triumphantly at him. Blood was filling his lungs, but he grinned up at the human, whose eye widened in response.

"I got you," he gurgled, and grabbed the human's biceps and squeezed, hearing the immediate crack of bone, accompanied by the curling scream. At the same time, there was a surge of chakra from the human- a high keening sound, and pain erupted in both of Sunny's ears. He tossed the human off of him, and got to his knees, eyes rolling in his sockets. His hands searched his chest, found the embedded kunai, and pulled them out, feeling his lungs and chest heal immediately. He coughed out some blood and turned his disoriented head in the human's direction, and was chagrined to see that the human was attempting to escape. Sunny lifted a hand in its blurry direction and felt his chakra hand race through the earth, bursting forth and grabbing the human's foot. The human cried out as he fell, and the chakra hand began to drag him back towards the demon. Sunny's vision righted itself- his ears stopped hurting, and it came to him that the human had done something to his ears, something that caused his vision to scramble, and the strange disorienting feeling.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," he hissed, making the signs, and three bunshin popped up. They grabbed the human, who struggled pathetically, not being able to do much with two broken arms. Sunny wiped the sides of his face that were covered in blood and glared at the human.

"Why were you following Gaara?" he asked, allowing his voice to revert back to its usual state, which was very deep and heavy. Any courage that was left in the human drained away, and his pain filled eye widened in absolute terror.

"I-I-I," he seemed to be trying to form words, but was apparently unsuccessful. The two bunshin holding him up by his broken arms squeezed, and the human screamed in pain. "I was going to kill him!" he screeched, and they loosened their grips on his arms.

"Why?" Sunny reached out and cut a piece of the cloth on the human's face, and watched as it unraveled and revealed a plain human face with a hairless skull. The skin was pallid and lined with pain, both eyes darting in their sockets.

"I was going to take his place in the Semi-Finals so I could defeat Sasuke!" he gasped, sweat lining his face. One of the bunshin sent him an incredulous look. Sasuke boy? Silly little Sasuke boy?

"Sasuke is nothing!" he hissed, and the other bunshin made a face of disgust as the human urinated on himself. He leaned forward, about to say more, when he smelled it, over the stink of piss, and the lovely fragrance of terror: Snakes.

Sunny reared back, red eyes focused on the human. This was one of snake-human's pack- what was his name? Orochimaru? At the same time, the third bunshin, that had been standing behind him and watching to make sure no one saw them, lifted its head and sniffed the air.

Sunny's head swiveled around. The snake-humans' pack member with the grey hair was nearby. Sunny took off in its direction, leaving the disposal of this human to his two bunshin. He was sick of this snake-human. It had gotten him in trouble deliberately, and now its members were threatening his own.

It was time to have a violent talk with one of his members.

--

By the time Kabuto was aware of danger, it was almost on top of him. He had been heading back to his home, plans for the siege comfortably in place, when Uzumaki and a bunshin dropped down- practically on him. Kabuto weaved out of the way, dodging a claw, that slashed the wood near his head. He kicked the bunshin, knocking it through the window of a house then sped down the street, moving away from the villagers. The small blond child followed quickly behind him, and it was like being followed by a monster- some of the sounds coming from the creature's throat were frightening. He didn't know what had caused this sudden attack- or if it was simply that the child had lost its mind to the demon, but he was eager to get away- remembering the technique Uzumaki had used on the unsuspecting boy weeks ago.

As Kabuto entered the training grounds- his eyes immediately fell on two more Uzumaki bunshin, covered in blood, with arms and legs in their hands. There was the torso of some unfortunate person lying between them, and they both lifted their heads, haloed by the light of the moon, crimson eyes falling on him. He spun just as the original reached him, palmed his shoulder, severing the nerves, and watched as the arm flopped to his side. Uzumaki stopped and blinked down at the arm, tried to lift it again, and it moved. Kabuto's eyes narrowed. The nerves must have healed- almost immediately, which said that Uzumaki had almost instantaneous healing abilities.

There was a rush of demonic chakra, and Kabuto leaped from the ground as a large red-clawed hand burst from the grass and followed him into the air, claws spread to grasp him. Quickly he kawamari'd out of reach, landing behind the demon boy and hit him at the nape of the neck, severing the nerves along his spinal column.

Uzumaki spun towards him, but flopped to the ground, body spasming and twitching, and the large chakra hands dissipated. But the fight was not over, for the two bunshin had raced toward him and attacked, a flurry of feet and claws, and it came to him that they were actually using a martial arts style- though it was so choppy and unskilled that he couldn't tell which one it was. He quickly dispatched both of them- but to his chagrin discovered that Uzumaki was back on his feet. This boy was unstoppable!

Uzumaki bared dagger-like teeth at him and began to walk towards him.

"Tell your master that if he wants to play the Game- I will play," the boy- no- the Demon, for the voice that the creature revealed to him could not possibly belong to a human being- stopped five feet from him. "I will outlast him- and he will play with his life."

The demon jerked toward him, but Kabuto hit him in the chest, severing an important artery connected to his heart. The demon staggered back and grabbed his chest, and froze completely, as if he had been turned to stone, eyes fixed and unmoving. But in that same moment, Kabuto was stunned himself, for as he had hit the boy in the chest, he had gotten a flash of the inner workings of Uzumaki's body. He'd seen his heart, his lungs, and he had seen what looked like Uzumaki's stomach. Though, the stomach didn't look like any stomach he had seen on a human, because it was connected to a web of thick veins that spread throughout the demon's body- from head to toe.

And after that- there was nothing. No liver, no small and large intestine, no kidneys, no bladder...just the coils that came from his stomach, and _they_ were veined with chakra coils, thousands of them! Uzumaki's belly was mostly empty!

Uzumaki suddenly moved, as if life had returned to him and moved away fluidly, then broke into a run, heading towards the walls- and most likely into the forest. Kabuto watched in wary silence as a man followed him with the same fluid grace, only stopping to pick up the unknown body, and to glance at him, and he was captured by ancient black eyes. Then they too were gone, and both disappeared over the wall.

Kabuto was left on the training grounds, wishing that he could get his hands on such a body to explore, and he rubbed his hand against the burning on his right arm. He frowned and looked at his arm, and was startled to see a rather angry bite mark. When had Uzumaki managed to bite him? He stared at the burning wound, and noticed the black and purple coloring, pressed healing chakra to it, and immediately felt the decaying flesh.

Uzumaki's bite was deadly.

Scowling, Kabuto pulled out a kunai and painfully removed the infected flesh, hissing silently in pain. When it was all removed, he healed the damage, and his arm ached no more. Then he dug into his pocket and stared at Uzumaki's card. The list was getting longer and longer.

--

Sunny stopped when he had reached the safety of the forest and had both Gaara and Tsorn in his sight- both of which were staring warily at each other. Dyadem stopped on a branch beside him and stuffed the body and its limbs into the nook of the tree, before frowning down at his blood stained clothing.

\A pity/ he sighed, and Sunny wanted to agree, seeing that his new favorite orange shirt was not only covered in his own blood but also had tears where the kunai had entered.

"What happened?" Gaara asked, moving over to him. Sunny shrugged and shook his head, instead scaling up into the canopy and emerging from the leaves. The full moon bathed him with its cool light and he felt a wave of content. Below him, he could hear Tsorn speaking of the four ninja's he had killed, and he was pleased for his brother. Gaara followed him up and frowned. "I don't like full moons," he rasped. "Moth-Shukaku is always agitated on full moons."

\It's because he wants to dance/ Sunny whispered, eyes bleeding to blue. \He wants to dance, and sing./

He opened his mouth and sang the _Lure_ to the moon, and Gaara descended slowly, feeling his limbs grow heavy. He sank down into a tree, and struggled to keep his eyes open, watched- dare he say- sleepily? as the blue demon Dyadem removed his clothes, folding them rather neatly, then flashed into a small blue flame, zipped through the branches and flashed in circles around Sunny's head.

The tree shuddered around him, and the brown demon named Tsorn settled next to him.

\I heard that the Greater Demons were always affected more by the full moons than us lesser demons. I guess it's true./

Gaara's eyes fluttered, then fell shut, and he curled up to sleep, something that used to terrify him...but Shukaku was silent, and Sunny's angelic singing was so relaxing, and...

**TBC**

**For some who may not have gotten it- Tsorn killed some sound-nin- one of the ones who summon the snakes.**

**Natsu made himself sick by worrying too much about the Semi-Finals.**

**Sunny killed Dosu-who was using his Melody Arms to fight back**

**The next chapter is kind of like a mini climax for this story. There will be lots of action- poison gas- character death- (of course) and much more.**

**_Sunny_/_Naruto's_ _Characteristics_: Likes: Peppermint, candy, things that are colorful, toothpaste (peppermint flavor) Natsu, Gaara, Tsorn and Dyadem, full moons. Dislikes: Pretty much everyone else, food that humans eat, dull colors, Yondaime, eating brains, human authority. Abilities: _Almost_ endless supply of chakra, superior healing abilities, advanced sense of smell, advanced hearing, better eyesight than humans- but not like a bird of preys'. Can use the Lure, can glean information by eating brains. Bite can cause immediate decaying of cells. If left alone it could spread and eventually kill a human or animal.**

**_Dyadem's_ _Characteristics_: Likes: eating unfavorable parts of humans and animals, Kyuubi, full moons. Dislikes: humans, Shukaku, Keiyatsutsan.**

**Abilities: Shapeshifting- though he is limited to blue only- so if he turned into a crow- he'd be a blue crow. If he turned into a roach- he'd be blue...which would look pretty awesome. Can possess any human, demon or animal. Can glean information by eating brains.**


	21. Down Deep into the Darkness

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion

_BOTTOM INFORMATIVE- EXPLAINS AND ANSWERS SOME QUESTIONS_

_**Warnings: Human eating, violence...gore..things of that nature. Also, this chapter is un-beta'd. I'd apologize for all the errors, but I can only say sorry so many times before **_**someone****_ demands I get a beta reader. _**

**Chapter Twenty**

**Down Deep into the Darkness**

Gaara woke with a jolt, immediately aware of his surroundings, and that he was lying in a nook between branch and trunk. He took a deep, shuddering breath and blinked rapidly up into the canopy as he sat up, the grating feeling of coarse bark pressing into his back. The air was scented with peppermint, and the leaves rustled in a gentle, cool, wind that he wasn't used to back home. Above him, crouched on a thinner branch, was Sunny, staring down at him with eyes vermilion and orange. He was motionless, except for his jaw, that was no doubt chewing on the peppermint he smelled of. He wondered how long his friend- yes, _friend_- had been watching him sleep, and then it hit him, that he had indeed been asleep. He looked down at his arms, expecting them to be malformed- monstrous, but they were his arms, and felt almost shocked that he had not suffered from a possession.

\I tried to wake you- but you were resting so deeply.../ Sunny's voice was soft, and puzzled. \I wondered if you would ever awaken.../ His voice drifted off and he lifted his head and gazed into the leaves thoughtfully. Gaara returned to his feet and immediately noticed the brown skinned demon Tsorn crouched not too far from them, yellow eyes unblinking as they stared at him. He didn't know how to feel about the larger demon; he seemed standoffish- which he was well used to, but at the same time, so much more interesting than he had imagined. Sunny, who was beautiful and alluring, was clearly the opposite of Tsorn, who was hulking, with blood encrusted, muzzle-like jaws, and large clawed hands and feet that seemed at odds with his lean muscular body. He smelled of rusted blood, a scent that was very familiar to the sand ninja, but his presence seemed at odds with the surrounding nature. It felt as if he didn't belong.

Gaara watched the claws flex into the tree that the demon held on to trunk and spied an animal's leg, most likely a deer, hanging from its massive fist.

"You...will be..go do...umans?" Tsorn's jaws and throat seemed to be working hard to form proper Japanese, and the demon looked frustrated as Sunny swiveled around, beaming at the brown demon.

"How- what is the word..delightful?" Sunny looked at him inquiringly, and Gaara nodded. "Yes, delightful. Now you can speak human tongue too!" Tsorn looked decidedly pleased at Sunny's praise, though he tried to hide it with a ghastly scowl that put his own to shame. "But yes, we must go to the Semi finals." Sunny turned crimson eyes toward him, and they settled with an unblinking gaze. "You are fighting Sasuke boy? I hope you kill him- they will allow that, yes?" Sunny's pink lips turned up in a rather vicious leer, baring sharp teeth, and he felt his own face reflect Sunny's, a thrill of excitement run through him.

He was among his own kind here, and he was accepted, and no one made him feel like a monster.

--

Natsu tried to look as calm and collected as Sasuke managed to look as he waited with the few other ninja, watching miserably as the stadium began to fill with citizens and ninja alike. Sakura and Ino were conversing in hushed, excited tones as he resisted the urge to pace, knowing that Sasuke would probably antagonize him if he showed 'weakness'. Instead he stood near Shikamaru and Shino, wishing he was as uncaring as Shikamaru and as self-confident as Shino appeared to be. His nose was still stuffed from his self induced fever- but beyond that, he had made a full recovery- or at least ninety-nine percent recovery.

Kakashi-sensei dropped a hand on his shoulder, completely startling him, and gave him a smile behind the mask. "Relax Natsu. You'll do fine."

"No I won't," his shoulders sagged in reply as he ignored Sasuke's scowl. He couldn't imagine why Sasuke wasn't worried about fighting Gaara of the Sand- but then, Sasuke was known- at least in his own mind- for being a bit...bullheaded. Natsu was sure that Sasuke believed that there was no way he could be beaten by Gaara. "Neji has a full year of experience on me."

Sasuke sent him a sidelong look of disapproval, but Natsu just sighed and leaned his elbows against the railing and stared out at the soon to be spectators. His eyes turned, and he spotted the Sand siblings- the painted boy and his sister, looking distressed as they stood next to their sensei, eyes darting about, as if searching for someone.

"What happened to Gaara?" Shikamaru asked lazily, lifting his head from where it had been buried in his arms as he leaned against the rail. Natsu regularly delighted in how observant Shikamaru really was without looking it, and he peered at the siblings again. Sabaku Gaara _was_ missing. He peered up at the box where the Hokage and visiting Kazekage would soon be sitting, looking for Sunny, but the box was only occupied by Konoha ninja inspecting the area for exploding tags. It was highly likely that Gaara was with Sunny, and even as he thought this, Sunny came gliding toward him, ghosting through the crowd fluidly, his face set in a pleasant smile- a smile Natsu did not trust. At his side, was Gaara, and there was an audible sigh of relief from his siblings, who had moved toward them upon sighting the third member of their team

Though he was relieved to see the blond, to his dismay, Sunny must have forgotten to put on a shirt this morning, for he was back to wearing just pants and jewelry...his mother's jewelry, and Ino's delighted squeal was disturbing.

"Sunny," Kakashi-sensei greeted. "Where have you been?"

Sunny stopped before them and gave a misty smile. "It was a full moon." His eyes fluttered strangely, with a look of ecstasy in them, then they focused on him, sharp and unblinking. "Natsu feeling better?" he inquired as Gaara moved on toward his siblings, though he did pause to stare coldly at Sasuke, who sneered in reply.

Natsu sighed in response to Sunny's question and gave a smile. "I'm all right. But Sunny, what happened to your shirt? My mother gave you several." He noticed Kiba and Akamaru appearing, looking worried and wary, sending dark glances toward Sunny as he passed and sat down next to Chouji.

"It was torn," was Sunny's disinterested reply, as he was watching Kiba pass, eyes that intense, predatory look.

"You should go sit down- the Semi-finals are about to start." Sunny turned to where he pointed, eyes falling on Sakura and Ino, both of which gestured for him to come and sit. "Uh, Sakura?" Natsu called, and beckoned. "A word?" Sakura frowned, but looked curious as she got up from her seat and moved toward him, following him away from the others, far enough that no one would over hear them.

"What is it?" Sakura asked, concerned as she watched Natsu glance toward the others nervously. "Look, you're going to be fine Natsu. I looked up the requirements of this Exam, and it clearly stated that a genin could be promoted to chuunin whether he wins or loses." Natsu's eyebrows rose in surprise, and she smiled at him and patted his arm affectionately. "So don't worry about winning, just do your best and stay safe. That's all that really matters."

Natsu looked so relieved, it was actually cute, but then the cheer came right off his face and he was back to looking nervous.

"Actually- though that really helped- that isn't why I wanted to talk to you. It's actually about- uh- Sunny."

"Huh?"

"Listen," Natsu was whispering now. "Don't go anywhere uh...alone with him, okay?" Sakura's face reddened, and her hands turned into ominous fists, and Natsu waved his hands at chest level quickly. "Wait-wait! I don't mean it like that! It's just that he- er..." Natsu was starting to sweat, and the embarrassment fled from her veins as he leaned toward her. "He...eats people."

Sakura jerked her head back, staring at him incredulously.

"I'm serious! He admitted it to me- quite naturally too."

"You're saying...he's a cannibal?"

"Yes-wait no. Well...not really. Auugh!" Natsu pulled at his hair in frustration. "Forget it. Just, don't go anywhere alone with him, cuz' if you go missing, I'm so gonna think he ate you!"

"Well," Sakura couldn't quite believe what she was hearing, and as her eyes darted away from Natsu's frustrated face, they fell and froze on Sunny, who was standing three empty seats from Ino, staring back at her. He was smiling wide enough to show his straight white teeth, but something didn't seem right about that smile, or that hint of pointedness about them. Sakura paled, and she believed in Natsu's warning.

Natsu, seeing Sakura's frightened gaze, turned to see that Sunny was staring at them, smiling, and the boy lifted his hand and pressed it to his lips in a 'shushing' motion, grinning at them, eyes dancing in what appeared to be malicious amusement.

"He's not human, is he?" Sakura asked in a shaky voice, and before he could answer, the smile disappeared from Sunny's face, and his head swiveled fluidly around, and watched as a tall pale man with spiky blue hair approached him, walking with that same grace that Sunny held. He immediately noticed what looked like blood stains sprinkled and splattered across his pale blue shirt.

Both Natsu and Sakura felt chills run through them as the man stopped beside him, and everyone in the area seemed aware of him. Kakashi-sensei, who had been slumped with disinterest, was now straight-backed and staring, Sasuke was looking alarmed, Ino had shrunk in on herself, Chouji had stopped eating, Kiba looked like he wanted to crawl out of his skin, Shikamaru was leaning heavily on the railing, dark eyes, for once, intense. Shino looked-well-composed, Neji looked contemplative, and the Sand group looked agitated- and that included Gaara.

The man hunched fluidly over so that his head was near Sunny's, and thin gray lips moved. No one could hear what was being said, but a look of amusement flashed through Sunny's face, and the two moved, facing the arena and sat down gracefully, in unison, as if the move had been choreographed. They seemed for a moment to flow about the seats, before utter stillness descended upon them, and they were like two exotic statues.

"Welcome everyone," a voice boomed over the intercoms, and the few of them jumped, and Natsu saw that the Hokage and Kazekage had arrived. "Please be seated- the Semi-Finals are about to begin-" and the announcer began to thank all the villages that had attended.

Natsu sighed and turned to Sakura. "Yes, well...just be careful." Sakura nodded as he moved away, heading towards the other contestants. His eyes drifted toward Sunny's friend, and he froze. The man was looking at him, with frightening black eyes, eyes that bore into him and stole his breath- he could not tell what those eyes were saying- what they were thinking- he wasn't even sure how he knew that the man was even looking at him, but he was aware when the attention was pulled away when Sunny lifted his frozen gaze from the arena and looked up at the Hokage's and Kazekage's box, and he knew by the slight turn of his head that the blue haired man too was looking at the Kage's.

Both of their faces remained empty, but the focus of their eyes were alarming. Which one were they staring at with such anger, the Sandaime or the Kazekage?

--

Sunny decided, quite promptly, that he was going to kill this Neji human, who drew Natsu's blood (he could smell it from up where he was seated) and seemed to make a fool of him. He talked nonsense through most of the fight, some type of advanced goading that Sunny did not understand, but from the occasional grunts of amusement that Dyadem gave off, meant it was clearly stupid. And Sunny didn't want to waste his time on stupid. But to avenge Natsu, who was getting beaten, he would deal with stupid. Three seats from him sat the female who smiled like flowers- though right now she smelled like frightened flowers- ever since Dyadem had shown up, and Sakura, who was wringing her fingers and biting her lips as she watched the fight. Her fear was a gentle flavor that seemed to hover about him, and he'd seen Dyadem glance over at her once or twice.

"Winner: Hyuuga Neji!" the man- the referee, Dyadem had murmured, called out, and there was a roar of approval from the humans. Several of the ninja in the crowd peered at Natsu as he limped from the arena, and he caught snatches of words like, _acceptable_, and _candidate _here and there. He was familiar with the first word, but the second, he knew nothing of. As Natsu approached them, Sakura jumped to her feet and made to hug him, but stopped herself as she seemed to notice his cuts from renegade kunai.

Natsu looked tired, and a bit grim as he slumped down on the nearest seat next to the human Kiba, and jumped when Kakashi-leader dropped a hand on his shoulder. "You did well Natsu. I'm proud." Natsu's frown turned up, and he seemed to drown in relief, taking a deep breath and rubbing a gash on his forearm. Sasuke boy stood on the steps near them, eyes following someone, and Sunny turned his head to see that he was glaring at the human Neji, eyes promising payback. Sunny turned a considering look towards the dark-haired human, surprised at his anger, that he apparently cared about his pack.

\So tiny- so pointless/ Dyadem murmured, watching as the human named Shikamaru trudged reluctantly down into the arena, followed by Gaara's strange sibling. \Why do they exist? Why so many of them? What could he see in such insignificant creatures?/ Sunny stared at his face, watching as grayish blue veins appeared at his temples and at the corners of his mouth. \Their whole lives, played out in the time of one _resting_./ The contempt in his voice was heavy, and his black eyes narrowed as the fight below began. He'd heard of the _resting_ that Dyadem was talking about- it happened sometimes to the really old demons, the Masters. Though _resting_ was normally six hours, some Masters were known to fall into it for centuries, something having to do with boredom-though he couldn't imagine anyone being so bored that they would fall into an extended _resting_. That would be centuries of being vulnerable!

The scent of blood was stronger, and he saw out of the corner of his eye that Natsu was approaching, apparently having decided that he wanted to sit next to him and not the agitated human Kiba.

"Well, that's over and done with," Natsu whispered to him, though he didn't know why since no one else was trying to be quiet. Sunny turned and smiled, patting his hand.

"Don't worry Natsu. I kill him for you."

Natsu sent him a startled look and gave an amused grin. "Don't be silly Sunny. He has the Byakugan."

Apparently his pretty eyes allowed him to see in all directions. He patted Natsu's hand again. "No worries Natsu. He will be able to see me well when I eat out his heart."

Natsu seemed to choke on something for a moment, eyes darting from him to Dyadem, before deciding to watch the fight.

\Foreign humans gathering in the forest, from a human village called Otogakure. They plan some type of attack. Be wary/ came Tsorn's abrupt call, and both he and Dyadem lifted their heads toward the west, ignoring Natsu's inquiring gaze. Clearly the humans could not pick up the call over all the noise they were making, and they were lucky to even hear it.

"Winner: Nara Shikamaru."

The humans were amused and delighted, and both turned their heads back toward the arena. The female from Gaara's pack looked disgruntled while the human Shikamaru looked ready to lie down somewhere, face drawn in boredom.

A little time passed, and it seemed that the painted male in Gaara's pack declined to fight the buzzing human, and soon it was time for the fight between Gaara and Sasuke-boy. Natsu was chewing his fingernails as Sunny folded his hands in his lap and settled in, a slight smile on his face.

"Ah Kakashi- my Eternal Rival," a strong, rich voice greeted, and Natsu turned to see that Maito Gai had come down to see this fight. There was an air of anticipation about the humans- some even leaned forward in their seats. Sunny lifted his nose to the air as the scent of snakes wafted toward him.

The fight began, and Sasuke was faster than Sunny remembered- as fast as the green-clad human had been, and he seemed close to hitting Gaara before the sand flew up to protect him. Natsu watched in silent awe, stunned that Sasuke had improved so much in one month- forcing someone Natsu thought to be indestructible into a ball-literally- he must congratulate Kakashi-sensei on doing such a superb job, and he glanced to his right to see Sunny's reaction. He thought the violence and blood would have excited the self-proclaimed demon, but Sunny didn't seem excited- in fact he was like a statue in his seat, hands in his lap and unblinking eyes focused on the battle, face devoid of any emotion. The frightening blue haired man that Sunny had neglected to introduce mirrored him in every way.

There was a gasp of awe and he turned his attention back to the battle. Sasuke had run up the side of the arena, right hand toward the ground, left gripping his wrist.

"So, you taught him _that_ technique, eh Kakashi?" Gai seemed vaguely amused. "Isn't that a little dangerous?"

Before Kakashi-sensei could reply, Sakura piped up, "What technique? What's he doing?"

Kakashi-sensei patted her head and murmured, "Just watch."

Natsu watched as light formed under his right hand, chakra, and a loud shrieking as the chakra formed in his hand. There was a heavy groan to his right- or he thought it was a groan, and he darted his eyes to look at Sunny and his companion, but they were still statues.

Sunny and Dyadem watched as Sasuke-boy raced down the side wall of the arena and charged toward Gaara, who had reverted into a ball of sand. Dyadem was agitated with Gaara's performance, going so far as mentioning how pathetic he was- though he had called him Shukaku- and he hadn't bothered asking who that was as he watched Sasuke-boy slam the ball of screaming chakra into Gaara's sand barrier. His hand sank into the sand, and Sunny watched in concealed glee as he tried to pull his hand from the ball. When he managed to jerk it back, a misshapened, clawed extremity followed him out, reluctant to release his hand. The humans around him gasped, Dyadems' lip curled up in wry amusement, and then...feathers floated down from the sky, pale white feathers- all very pretty, and he stared up at them, puzzled and awed at the same time. Was someone killing a very large bird somewhere up in the sky? And, where was the blood?

"Kai!" Natsu said next to him, putting his fingers together and releasing a small bit of chakra, and that's when Sunny noticed that the humans around them began to slump forward in their seats- falling into sleep. Dyadem straightened his head from staring up at the sky just as a loud boom shook the arena, and the ground trembled.

Still sitting in his seat, he turned to see smoke rising from where the Hokage had sat and there were Konoha ninja jumping toward it. A body flew over his head, and Sunny looked to see that it was a ninja, kunai out, attacking Kakashi-leader.

And then chaos ensued. Foreign ninja began to attack the Konoha ninja, the ground shook constantly, and beyond the arena, smoke began to arise into the sky, and all the humans seated remained asleep- except for a few that were clearly ninja.

"We're under attack!" Natsu gasped, and he looked down to see Natsu crouched down between the seats with Sakura, kunai in hand, eyes wide, smelling of fear. The flower female and the round one were asleep.

\Sunny. Come./

He turned to see Dyadem jumping over chairs and humans, heading toward the Hokage's area, where the smoke had cleared and snake-human had the dying human in front of him with a kunai to his throat. Sunny growled and leaped after him, jumping on several human's heads as he went. The feathers had stopped falling, and all around him was the scent of blood, and the screams of the wounded, the dying, and the enraged. It was all terribly exciting. Ahead, it seemed that snake human had taken the Hokage on top of a long dwelling, and as the Anbu followed, they were thwarted by a large purple barrier that surrounded the whole dwelling. One Anbu crashed into it, and fell away screaming, body burning in purple flames.

They stopped on the roof of a dwelling close to the Hokage, and that's when Sunny turned and looked about, eyes falling on the...giant snakes that crashed into dwellings. They were the biggest _anything _he had ever seen, and for a rage-filled second he thought they were invading demons, that was until Dyadem's voice echoed behind him, filled with disgust and contempt. \Spirits. Pathetic./

He watched as they purposefully crushed dwellings and snapped at the ninja who attacked them, and for a second hoped that Tsorn was unharmed in the forest.

\Look/ came Dyadem's voice, and he turned back to see what was happening behind the purple barrier. He watched as the snake human, Orochimaru, peeled off the fake face he was wearing, revealing his normal face that Sunny had seen.

Then, he did a strange jutsu that began to summon three strange boxes from the roof- but then the Hokage called out, "Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," and hundreds of the sharp objects flew at Orochimaru and destroyed one of the boxes. But the other two remained, and opened, revealing two humans, one with white hair and the other with black, and they stepped out.

Beside him, Dyadem leaned forward from where he clung to the side of the dwelling, trying to hear what was being said over the ruckus of the snakes and the fighting of the humans. The two men from the boxes seemed to say something, and then the Hokage attacked, blowing billows of fire at them, but the white-haired one counterattacked with a wall of water, then the water took the shape of some kind of reptile and attacked the Hokage.

Mud came from the Hokage's mouth, forming a wall and stopping the oncoming water, and Sunny remembered to swallow, eyes wide as he watched real jutsu at work, reminded of his pack's attack when he saw all of the mud.

The dark-haired human moved, and both demons watched as thick branches and roots grew from the wall of mud and grabbed the Hokage. The human smeared blood on one of the branches in a pattern, and suddenly, a large human sized monkey appeared, garbed in human clothing.

\Enma/ Dyadem hissed in disdain- apparently he knew the spirit, and he watched as the monkey turned into a large red pole and broke the Hokage free from the branches. Smoke reached Sunny's nose, and he glanced back to see that the snake spirits had managed to cause a fire, and some of the humans were attempting to put it out as they tried to battle the snakes.\Look at how far the spirits have fallen, servants to the humans./

Orochimaru, who had been watching the fight, now moved forward, opening his mouth wide, and a snake shot out with its jaws open wide, and from _its_ mouth came what looked like a sword. He took the sword from the snake just as the Hokage attacked with the red pole, deflecting his attacks, and the white-haired and blacked haired human attacked the Hokage from behind.

\He's going to lose/ Sunny proclaimed anxiously, and Dyadem's head swiveled to look at him, those black eyes appraising.

\So?/

In that moment, the branches and roots grew more, crowding the barrier, and both Dyadem and Sunny leaped onto the roof, startling the anxious Anbu that hovered before it. They pulled out kunai, ready to attack, but one recognized Sunny and he lowered his kunai. Sunny reached out and touched the barrier, jerking his hand away as purple flames engulfed it, giving out a small screech, waving his hand frantically until Dyadem reached out and snuffed out the flames by simply fisting his hand around Sunny's. His hand smoked for a moment before it began to heal, and the pain faded, only to be replaced by a familiar dread, that came from the barrier, and his head darted up, peering through the gaps of the branches to spy a frightening creature, about twelve feet tall, with tusks jutting from its mouth and wild gray hair. Sunny stepped back with a gasp, and Dyadem stiffened.

\That fool of a human has summoned Death. Who has given him the power to do such?/

Darkness filled the barrier, a darkness so complete that they could only see vague shapes in it. There was the sound of fighting, and what looked like Death grabbing the two humans from the boxes. Sunny wanted to leave- he did not want to be anywhere near Death, who made him feel queasy, who frightened him. Sunny backed away again just as Orochimaru's voice breeched the barrier.

"What technique is this?"

The Hokage's voice came, pained and thick with blood. "This is a Fuuin Jutsu, the Shiki Fuujin. You should have heard of it, my wayward apprentice; it was the same technique Yondaime used to seal the Kyuubi."

Sunny choked on his horror as Dyadem reared back, radiating rage. He threw his head back and gave a howl of pure fury, his black teeth long and sharp, his pale skin tinged blue. The Anbu jumped away from them, a miasma of fear, for Dyadem was a sight enough to make Sunny retreat, and he turned and headed back to the arena where he had left Natsu, leaving Dyadem to his fury.

The humans were still fighting, blood smeared their pathways. He dropped down beside a dead human and touched its body. Cold- it would not be a joy to eat, and so he leaped back onto the rooftops and and hopped into the arena. The humans were still asleep, unaware that there were bodies strewn about. The arena floor, littered with craters, had bodies down there too, and instead of grabbing one of the sleeping humans, he dropped down into the arena and grabbed the closest dead human to him, ignoring several of the ninja standing nearby.

The body was still warm, and he quickly tore a leg off, pulling off the pants leg, and took a quick healthy bite, chewing and swallowing quickly as he inspected the area where he crouched and dined. One of the standing ninja he recognized, being of Gaara's pack, and the other was the referee. The third he knew, if only by smell since he was wearing an Anbu mask- Kabuto- Snake-human's pack member. All seemed to be staring at him as he stripped the meat from the leg, and they blanched in horror as he crunched down on the bone- but neither seemed to want to interfere and so he devoured the bone of the leg and moved on to the second leg, which was still warm.

--

Kakashi disposed of the last sound-nin, dusting his hands in grim satisfaction and watched in mild amusement as Gai sent a sand-nin through a wall. Gai turned and gave him a thumbs up, grinning brightly, and he turned to inspect the arena. Earlier, he had sent Natsu and Sakura after Sasuke, who had run off after Sabaku Gaara, and they had both dragged a reluctant Shikamaru with them. No doubt, they had headed for the forest.

A Konoha chuunin dropped down before them, pale and sweating, and rushed up to them. "Hatake-san. I have a report. There is a large squad of sound-nin escaping into the forest through west gate. Jiraiya-sama has just arrived, and the Hokage is fighting in the South district. The summons are doing heavy damage, but with Jiraiya-sama here, we think they will be stopped."

Gai stepped forward. "I'm going to go help out the Hokage," he proclaimed with a serious face, and then he turned to Kakashi. "Didn't your team go into the forest west of here?"

Kakashi paled. Natsu and Sakura were no match for a squad of sound-nin. Natsu hadn't gotten medical attention for his wounds and Sakura only knew the basics of jutsu.

"Asuma went after Shikamaru," Kurenai assured as she peered out over the arena. "He'll..." Her voice drifted off as her eyes caught sight of Uzumaki, the boy Kakashi had returned to Konoha with. He was crouched over the body of a Konoha nin, eating his legs. Gai moved to see what had caused the look of horror on the kunoichi's face, and felt the blood drain from his own as he watched the small golden headed boy crunch through the man's femur like it was a stick of pocky. Even from up there, they could hear the constant crunch of bone, and the boy's vermilion eyes darted about him as he ate, as if he expected someone to try to stop him at any moment.

"Oh shit..." Kakashi breathed, taking in the scene and seeing the frozen look on Genma's face as he stood there, oblivious to the fact that he was standing near a traitor. As if hearing his thoughts, Yakushi removed the mask and grinned at him. Sunny looked up from the man he was eating and glared at Yakushi, who bowed almost mockingly to him, then both he and the sand-nin Baki disappeared. This seemed to snap Genma out of his shock and he stepped toward Sunny, who lifted his head and straightened his shoulders, remaining in the crouch, staring at Genma with large crimson and orange eyes, still as a statue. Genma froze, senbon needle still in his mouth, wary of the boys' unnatural stillness, and the way those large unblinking eyes held him, waiting for him to make the next move. His mouth and chin were smeared with a fallen comrade's blood, and he could still hear the sound of his bones being ground down.

"Sun!" Kakashi called, and life seemed to return to the boy, and his head swiveled up in response to his name. "I need you to go after Natsu and Sakura, they'll need your help." Sunny looked west, to where Kakashi pointed, then he blinked almost owlishly at him, as if he were having trouble coming back to himself, then nodded. He dropped what was left of the leg and leaped up into the stands, stepped on a few heads, then made one single leap over and disappeared.

"That was Kyuubi," Kurenai stated flatly, and he shrugged in reply, and headed for the direction of their beloved Hokage.

--

Dyadem paced outside of the purple barrier, rage pouring through each step, and for a second he thought he was going to lose his human form and revert back to his natural form- for such was the rage that ran through him. Death, was an incredibly final state of being- and for all that this human called Orochimaru had summoned two humans from the dead- they were still- in fact- dead. So for this _Yondaime_ to seal Kyuubi away with Death made it all feel very final. He grit his teeth and glared at the surrounding humans-who were stuck between being frightened of him and worried for their human Hokage. Just like Sunny had been worried. He hissed and stopped pacing, pulling his millenniums of patience down upon himself and waited for this battle to be over.

As if on cue, the purple barrier fell, and the branches crumpled away, the darkness lifting. The human Orochimaru called out to his four human lackeys that had pulled up the barrier and they jumped away. Several of the Konoha Anbu leapt forward to attack, but one was quickly knocked down by one of the humans with four arms.

Dyadem stepped forward, eyes immediately falling on the fallen Hokage, who was clearly dead as Enma pulled a sword from his back. The monkey spirit hovered over the body as Dyadem approached, then his furred head darted up, dark eyes alarmed.

:Dyadem: he spoke in the tongue of the spirits, voice laced with sadness and anger. :What are you doing here in the realm of Man?:

:Go on fool: Dyadem snapped. :The _human_ doesn't need you anymore. My, how the mighty have fallen- you and all your kind:

The Anbu approached, some crying out at the sight of their fallen Hokage, and he spotted the one named Kakashi arriving along with more humans. Enma stood up, but not before he put a hand on the dead human, and its skin instantly turned blue. Dyadem snarled; the brain, which still had been good, was now ruined.

"Begone Demon, there is nothing for you here," he commanded in the human tongue for the benefit of the surrounding humans, who gasped, and the nearest one threw his hands together to create jutsu, but Dyadem gave him a swift kick to the chest, feeling the bones crumble under his foot as he dodged a kunai and leaped from the building, dashing away.

The humans were so distraught over their Hokage, that they made no attempt to follow, and he headed west toward the forest, pausing only once to see the spirit toads battle the snakes. He shut his eyes and breathed deeply and headed for the crumpled west wall, only to be stopped by a Konoha ninja.

"Hey! Where's your hitai-ate? What village are you from?" the human looked like a youngling. Dyadem bared his teeth menacingly, and the human male paled, but it gripped its kunai and rushed forward. Just as it reached him, Dyadem dropped his human form, flashing into the blue flame, and the human ran right into him. Connecting with the human's chest, he melded into it, rushed through its body, and crushed its small mind, pushing it to the side and locking it away.

It was the first time he had ever bothered to possess a human, and as he straightened from the crouch and turned toward the west wall, he suffered a shock. The human eyes! They were so weak, they barely saw anything, and the colors! So few of them. He gasped, then put his hands to his chest- or the human's chest really, and remained stunned. There was pain in his body, small minute nagging pains that the human felt probably all the time, he ran through pieces of the human's mind and discovered that it had shattered it's knee three years ago, and it still ached! Something that would have only lasted seconds for him. He lifted the human hands to his face, staring at the tendons in the hands, feeling the blood rush through them. He felt weighted down by gravity- heavy, tired. The was a distant crash, and he turned the poor, practically colorless eyes toward the muffled sound, and realized that the human's hearing was incredibly pathetic. He couldn't hear much- the world was almost silent- his sense of smell was limited to the scent of smoke in the air.

He felt isolated. No wonder the humans gathered in big areas together; they were not attuned to anything!

He blinked watery eyes and squinted at the west wall before leaping toward it, and coming short, his leg protesting- his human legs, and he snarled, shoving his chakra through the human's body, wanting to get beyond the gate as soon as possible. As he soared toward the wall, he felt the human's chakra coils bursting- unable to handle his chakra, and this caused the body pain. He was on the wall, and one of the Konoha ninja's shouted orders to him, but he ignored it, instead taking a nose-dive toward the ground, watching as the dirt approached. Instincts told him to twist about and land on his feet, but he ignored it, and crunched head-first into the earth.

Immediately, the body felt strange, empty and foreign, and he searched for the presence of the human that occupied the body, but the mind was nothing more than oozing matter in the dirt. He floated away into the forest, having released himself from the body, but he did pause to look back at the human, taking in its crushed head and broken body. Then he floated on in search of Sunny and Tsorn.

--

Sunny surged through the forest, weaving through the trees and listening to the cries of dying humans of the village, spotting a body here and there, lying about the forest floor. He dropped down before a pile of bodies, touching and sifting through a few to find a warm one, and pulled off an arm. He spotted movement, and his eyes darted up, connecting with one of Natsu's friends, the bored one, standing with an older human male with hair about his face. Both were in the cover of the trees, staring at him as he bit into the arm.

"You seen Natsu?" he asked after he had swallowed, and watched as the bored one seemed to work up to pointing ahead.

"They went after Uchiha and Gaara."

Sunny nodded and leaped away, soaring into the trees, stopping once to call for Tsorn. \Tsorn! Where are you?/ His call echoed throughout the forest, which had been mysteriously silent. He turned his head about, picking up what sounds he could hear; the rustle of leaves against one another, the sound of the branches bending in the gentle wind. The snap of a twig.

His eyes zeroed in on a ninja slowly easing his way down a tree, kunai out and dark eyes focused on something, and as he followed his line of vision, saw Natsu crouched down near the roots of a large tree, head swiveling about, no doubt searching for the ninja that was stalking him. Sunny grinned, and slowly eased his way down the tree, pulling a few leaves with him and sticking them in his hair.

\I'm way out here-but I come!/ came Tsorn's reply, and indeed he was far from the village if he was just replying. The ninja was almost on Natsu just as Sunny's foot touched the earth. He sent his chakra racing toward the human, sneering as the human froze, looking about as he sensed the chakra approaching but could not see the source. The human moved back into the tree, but it was too late as his chakra hands burst from the ground and grabbed his legs. The human screamed and slashed at the hands with his kunai, his legs crunching and burning under the strength and heat of the chakra, but the other hand wrapped around his shoulders and tore him apart.

He saw Natsu jump up from his poor hiding place in shock just as a sharp pain sliced through his back, and Sunny spun to see another ninja approaching, shuriken in hand, the other tossing exploding tags around him. Sunny jumped into the air just as the tags exploded, the force knocking him clear through the trees. He managed to grab a branch as he crashed through a particularly large tree, and swung around it before landing in a crouch, twisting about so he could grab whatever was stuck in his back.

Natsu shunshin'ed toward him, face pale and covered in smoke and dirt. He stopped next to Sunny with a pant and inspected his back. "There's a shuriken in your back. I'm going to pull it out, 'kay?" His eyes darted about the area as he spoke, and Sunny looked back at him and nodded. Natsu grabbed the shuriken quickly and yanked it out; Sunny let out a sigh of relief as the wound healed, ignoring Natsu's gasp of astonishment. He tilted his head about, listening for the sound of the foreign ninja, but Natsu was panting too loud and there were trees burning from the explosion. Fire was a noisy thing.

"I don't know what happened, Shikamaru stayed behind as a decoy- I don't know if he's even alive- and we were supposed to go after Sasuke, but then we were ambushed by sound-nin." He wiped his sweating face, smearing the dirt and soot more, and grimaced. "I don't know what happened to Sakura, and we never-"

"Shh!" He smelled foreign blood, and his head continued to jerk around, crimson eyes darting through the trees, ears tilting here and there.

Suddenly the tree lurched, the ground around its roots roiling like something was trying to surface, and the tree toppled over violently. Sunny darted from the tree and latched onto the one next to it, turning back to see if Natsu had jumped away, but the human had gotten tangled in the branches and crashed down with the tree, crying out as a large thick branch landed on him, pinning his chest and stomach to the earth.

Sunny's eyes darted about as he heard and saw glimpses of the sound-nin sneaking about, towards Natsu, towards him. Sunny opened his mouth and shrieked as loudly and angrily as he could, sure that anything with ears from miles around would hear him, and several of the sound-nin's froze, their terror reaching him, and backing away.

Pinned under the branch, his breath impeded by the weight, Natsu managed a fake small cry of fear as he watched the long sharp canines in Sunny's mouth grow. The faint silver marks on his cheeks darkened as his friend turned and looked down at him, like a young devil, and gave him a nod. Then he gave a deep, half growl- half roar that trembled through the earth, and for a second he was in awe that such a loud, terrible sound could come from Sunny's twelve year old chest when it sounded like it belonged to something at least twenty feet tall. He gave another fake cry of terror, understanding that they were surrounded, and that Sunny was attempting to intimidate the sound-nins. He felt like several of his ribs were broken, along with the growing pain in a leg and arm that he could not see. He could barely get a proper breath, and knew that if Sunny didn't get help pulling off the branch, he would suffocate. The self-proclaimed demon with sharp dagger-like teeth (and he clearly had more in his mouth than the normal human) slowly slinked down the side of the tree, showing superb chakra control, before touching to the ground and whispering, "Kage Bunshin no jutsu."

The forest was suddenly filled with golden blond flying everywhere, and between his weak gasps he could hear the screams of fighting, and it became clear to him that there had been more sound-nin in the forest than he had originally thought. He'd thought most of them had been in the village, but perhaps they were retreating-

There was a blast of heated wind, and fire roared over him, so close that he he felt the heat roil over him, and parts of the tree that was crushing him caught fire. He was so dead. Sunny- crashed down near him, his body on fire as he watched him roll to a stop in the heated dirt. Everything was cast in a smoky orange glow- and he thought this was hell as he called out Sunny's name, and crimson eyes looked at him rather calmly despite the fact that he was on fire, and then he puffed into chakra smoke. A bunshin, he thought as smoke invaded his lungs, and he thought this was a terrible way to die, crushed by a tree, burned and suffocated by fire.

Another Sunny appeared, covered in soot, and he darted over to Natsu. He tried to say something, but he couldn't breath, couldn't even cough to get the smoke out of his lungs, but he was aware that Sunny grabbed the heavy trunk, and he wanted to tell him that he wouldn't be able to lift the tree off of him, but suddenly the pressure was off his chest, and he was able to take a deeper smoke filled breath only to cough and hack, sending ribbons of pain through his chest.

He turned over and began to drag himself away from the tree that Sunny was holding up, miraculously, might he add, and then a sound-nin appeared. The ninja lifted his hand, and to Natsu's horror, he saw a small gray ball in his hand: poison gas.

It all seemed in slow motion, large chakra hands burst from the ground, snatching at the ninja, but he jumped out of the way, tossing the ball of death at the ground. The tree went sailing over his head and crashed into the surrounding trees with a deafening crack just as the poison gas ball exploded, yellow gas engulfing them. He covered his nose with his good hand just as a powerful hand gripped his ankle, and then he was airborne.

The world tilted, leaves, and branches, all twirling and swirling about so that he was dizzy for a moment before he crashed into what felt like a thorn bush. He cried out and coughed in pain, eyes rolling about in his head before they focused, and he realized he _was_ lying in a thorn bush, on his side, with a perfect few of Sunny, though he was a distance away.

The blond was staggering about, coughing into his hands, ugly wet coughs, and saw blood through his fingers. "_Oh_ _God_," Natsu wheezed in horror as Sunny tripped into a tree, gurgling as he stumbled back, something lumpy and bloody falling past his lips, and Natsu knew it was his lungs. Chakra hands, violent reds and browns burst from the forest floor, waving about in terror and confusion, dozens of them, mirroring Sunny, who coughed and hacked up his lungs. In between came inhuman shrieks, and crimson eyes darted about in terror, grabbing at the bits of his lungs that were coming up.

The sound-nin appeared after the danger of the poison had passed, dodging the wild chakra hands, and swung a shuriken at Sunny's chest. Sunny must have seen him through his pain and terror, for he lifted an arm to block the shuriken, and his arm spun away, severed as the shuriken lodged into his chest. And Natsu could do nothing but watch.

"You bastard," the sound-nin hissed, pulling out a kunai as Sunny dropped to his knees, remaining arm reaching out to grab the severed one. He was covered in his blood, the stump from mid forearm gushing blood while pieces of his lungs oozed from his mouth and slid down his chest. He couldn't even believe Sunny was still alive, and he watched as the sound-nin walked casually behind the blond and pressed the kunai right under Sunny's left ear. "This is for my team mates!" he hissed, and Natsu opened his mouth in a silent scream as Sunny's eyes connected with his own, bleeding into blue as the man dragged the kunai across his throat, holding him up by his hair. Even above the cackle of fire he could hear the grate of bone against kunai and watched him fall face down into the earth. The chakra hands flopping down onto the dirt then disappearing.

The sound-nin stood over Sunny, dark eyes examining the body, then looking satisfied, that was until he was grabbed by one of the chakra hands that burst from the earth and grabbed his leg. The sound-nin screamed and stabbed Sunny repeatedly in the back, until the hand released his leg and and shrank back into the earth. Then the ninja aimed for his head- though through his tears he didn't know why- Sunny had stopped moving after his throat had been slit, but before the kunai could sink into his brain, something large, and brown landed behind him, and massive jaws wrapped around the man's skull and instantly crushed his head and face.

Natsu watched numbly as the man's eyes popped out of his head, and brain matter gushed out. The beast grabbed the man's arm and tore it from his body like it was a piece of cotton candy, then did so with the other arm, and so on until the sound-nin's body was all over, and only the head was left in the monster's mouth, and then it tossed the head away, and it landed in front of Natsu and rolled to a stop a foot from his face.

Natsu shut his eyes tightly and focused on trying to breath over burning lungs, muffling sobs lest the creature find him. There was a sound, like a poorly played violin, and he opened his eyes to see beyond the brutalized head that the brown creature hovered over Sunny, anxiously with what seemed like concern, and its massive brown hand nudged Sunny and then turned him over. Natsu lifted his head to see Sunny's face, his blue eyes were staring emptily at the burning canopy. The creature leaned down and licked his bloody throat, and horrific sounds- some that he had heard Sunny make, erupted from its throat. Was it talking to him?

There was a blue flash and he watched in numb silence as a large indigo wolf- the size of a pony, glided into the clearing, silently, as if walking on air- or maybe it was the deafening roar of fire that made it seem so silent. The wolf approached the monster and Sunny's body, sniffed at Sunny, then looked up at the brown monster. Both did not move, and Natsu wondered if they were going to eat his fallen friend, until movement appeared beyond the smoke, and to his continued shock Sabaku Gaara appeared. His face though, seemed wider, morphed and strange, and the only way he knew it was him was that his hair was still red and he wore the same cloth and gourd on him. But his eyes were black and yellow, and he looked at the blue wolf, his face twisting in what looked like pain, taking a step toward Sunny, but the wolf's lip parted, and onyx colored teeth bared in a clear warning. Gaara stepped back with a glare, and then the glare moved, and it fell on him, where he lay in the bushes. The indigo wolf's head turned, and familiar black eyes fell on him- and he knew, it was Sunny's blue haired companion at the Semi-finals.

Then Gaara turned and disappeared into the smoke, and the brown creature- no- demon, wrapped a massive hand around Sunny's small torso and tossed the body over a muscled shoulder, leaping into the smoke and disappearing. The blue wolf sauntered over to Sunny's severed fore-arm and picked it up in his mouth, and he too slipped away, only glancing back once, those black star-lit eyes seeming to accuse him, and he closed his eyes tightly in response.

For a while, there was only smoke, and the sound of falling and burning trees, and the pain of his coughs, but he had no energy to move, even to turn away from the head that lay before him. Then, "Oh shit."

Natsu opened his eyes, and Sasuke was standing over him, staring down at him in alarm and concern, black eyes darting around to take in the scene, eyes falling on the mutilated head, and kicking it away with a foot before he crouched down over Natsu.

"Sa...Sakura?" he slurred and wheezed, finally thinking on his pink haired team-mate as his vision darkened.

"She's fine-"

Then there was no pain, or guilt, or horror. There was only spiraling down deep into the darkness.

--

Hatake Kakashi sighed, heading for Konoha hospital, walking away from the Sandaime's funeral, seeing the black garbed mourners as he passed. Sakura gave him a weak smile, flowers in her hands, standing next to Konohamaru, who was sobbing quietly but harshly into his fists. He was mourning a beloved grandfather, _and_ a friend. He sighed again as he moved onto the streets, staring at the damage as he passed. Dozens of buildings had been crushed by the snake summons, dozens of lives had been lost protecting this village. But the villagers were already rebuilding, he noticed as he entered the hospital, people were ready to move on.

He moved down halls, shoulders slowly becoming more tense as he moved toward the ICU, toward his favorite student. Sasuke and Sakura had returned fine, along with Shikamaru, but Natsu had returned in a chuunin's arms, limp, pale, bloody, and seemingly dead except that his rasps alerted everyone to life.

He suffered three broken ribs, a fractured clavicle bone, his right leg broken in three places, torn ligaments in his left arm, a ruptured spleen, a cracked sternum, and severe smoke inhalation. The medics had worked hard on him for what seemed like hours, and even then he was still in the ICU. Then there was the delirious rants, in which he and Jiraiya discovered that Sunny had saved Natsu's life, sacrificing his own and dying horribly. He'd searched for Sunny's body himself, and Jiraiya had even accompanied him, unusually silent during their search, but they hadn't found his body, and he imagined it had been burned up in the devastating fire that had engulfed acres of the western forest.

From what they managed to gather, Sunny had saved Natsu from the sound ninja, had pulled a tree off of him, which explained the crushed ribs and broken leg. After that, there was poison gas, and monsters, and something about a head, but they couldn't be too sure with the fever they were constantly fighting. He did know that Natsu would have to suffer with survivors guilt for a while.

Kakashi entered Natsu's room, and immediately spotted Natsu's mother and father, Kazuya Yoko and Kazuya Naota. Yoko's face was swollen from constant tears, and Naota's face was pale and lined, with shadows under his eyes. He bowed politely to them, and watched as Yoko mopped her face with a tissue, then wiped Natsu's sweating forehead, pushing his damp dirty blond hair from his forehead.

"He keeps talking about poor Sunny," she hiccuped, and her already red and swollen eyes filled up with more tears. "he keeps saying horrible things, like how his l-lungs dribbled from his throat, or h-how he stared at him as his own throat w-was cut like some kind of a-a-animal." She dissolved into miserable tears, burying her face in her tissue, not unlike Konohamaru, who had been similarly crushed upon hearing of his new friends' death. "H-he was such a sweet boy," she sobbed, and her husband patted her shoulder gently.

Yoko's head snapped up suddenly, and her miserable eyes turned fiery. "I don't want Natsu to be a ninja anymore- I _never_ wanted him to be a ninja-"

"Yoko-" Naota began but she cut him off angrily.

"My boy's going to need therapy after this! He almost died, and he watched his friend be m-murdered..." she went back to crying. "That poor, poor child."

Kakashi sighed. He didn't want to be the one to say this, but, "Natsu is a shinobi now, and considered an adult. You can no longer stop him if he so desires," both their heads shot up in horror. "You're chance to pull him out passed when he passed his gennin test and got his hitai-ate and ID." He bowed his head again. "I'm sorry."

--

Tsorn crouched uneasily in the dark cave, peering up at the craggy ceiling far above him. Dyadem had brought them down into a deep enormous cave that smelled so much like Sunny- minus the peppermint, that he had made a face.

\This is where Kyuubi stayed when he was down from the Spirit Plane/ Dyadem had murmured in his mind, and as they touched the ground, he was startled by the feel of soft-fur? Tsorn had looked down, and sure enough, the ground was covered in reddish- brown fur, single strands longer that he was tall. He walked on Sunny's fur and marveled at the sheer size of what Sunny had been, and then a gurgle and the feeling of blood running down his back caused him to remember his pack-member and he slowly placed Sunny on his fur.

The youngling was a mess, trembling and coughing up pieces of his lungs, his throat having healed by the time they had arrived. He was covered in his blood, and as he inspected the lump of his arm, could see the bone beginning to grow back in a process that was slow and painful. Dyadem's paw reached out and turned Sunny over onto his stomach, as he was drowning in his own blood, and they watched as his small body spasmed and more pieces of his lungs came up. The stab wounds on his back were still there, as his body had other serious injuries to take care of.

\What did they _do_ to him?/ Tsorn asked, burying his clawed hands into the thick layer of fur they crouched on.

Dyadem sniffed the blood and gave a snarl. \It's infected, and it will take many weeks- even months for it to heal./ He moved and sniffed Sunny's stump. The severed hand he had brought along was starting to turn black. \This will hinder the healing. Look, he is already falling into the _healing_ _rest_./ And indeed, Sunny's glazed eyes stared at nothing as his breath gurgled.

Quite suddenly, the blue eyes sharpened and bled to crimson- except they began to glow, and Sunny's body seized, his lips peeling back in a vicious snarl and the air about them became heavy with a presence that made Tsorn cower and the fur to rise on Dyadem's back.

\Kyuubi?/ Dyadem whispered in question, mellow voice unsteady, black eyes going wide, and there was such a look in those eyes, that Tsorn was forced to avert his eyes in obedience. Those alien eyes were focused on Dyadem, who seemed unable to look away, and then Sunny's body slumped down into the fur, and his crimson eyes hollowed out with the _healing_ _rest, _the lids lowering but his eyes stayed open.

\We should bury him/ Tsorn suggested after a time, and at Dyadem's grunt, he pushed a thick layer of fur aside, picked Sunny's limp body up, placing him in the center and covering him up with his fur. If he could have his way, he would never see Sunny turn to Kyuubi.

**TBC**

**You'll find out next time what happened with Gaara, since he didn't transform.**

**I felt that Kakashi would not make an entrance with Sasuke because Natsu is his favorite, and he would at least be on time to see his fight- unlike cannon Kakashi- who didn't think it was important to show up for Naruto's fight. Bastard.**

**Unfortunately, I have to address a frequently asked question. There will be, _no_ pairings in this fic. No yaoi, no yuri, no het. Some reviewers alluded to the brief interaction between Ino and Sunny; that wasn't a hint at any future relationship. My reasons for this choice are simple. One, of course, the character Sunny/Naruto is clearly unfriendly towards most humans, does not see them as sex objects, is too young first of all- _to_ see them as such, and I think it silly to create an original demonic character just so I can stick her to him.**

**Another reason, I feel that most readers are under the impression that if one writes a fanfic, it _must_ have romance in it. I'm strongly against that expectation; there are many writers that can write fantastic stories without the need to place the characters in a romantic situation.**

**And lastly (and most likely the main reason for no pairings) though I am a female...I am absolutely abysmal at writing romance. I've tried it- it didn't work out, so I'm sticking with action, pain, and misery (my attempt at romance _did_ have all three of these things in them- which wasn't very romantic.)**

**This is not me complaining about the contents of my reviews- it's simply that it is a frequently asked question that I honestly posted an answer to many chapters ago, but I guess I should remind readers that there will be no pairings between Sunny and anyone else- human or otherwise.**

_**On a less informative note, I humbly thank all that have taken time out of their day to show appreciation for my story; it is very kind of you all.**_


	22. Interlude

Disclaimer: Daystar Clarion does not own Naruto

**This is an Interlude- so as interludes go...not very riveting and its _very_ short. _Very_.**

**Dancing with Demons**

_**Interlude**_

Jiraiya lifted his head in greeting as Kakashi wandered in, late as usual and clearly looking unhappy about having to show up in the morning. Kakashi had been spending most of his afternoons and evenings at Konoha General, along with Uchiha and the pink haired girl. Natsu was still a resident of the hospital, unfortunately, not due to the multiple fractures, torn ligaments, first degree burns or even the battle trauma. No, it was the prolonged smoke inhalation that had damaged his lungs. The genin was hooked up to an oxygen machine, all day, and the medics seemed to be fighting the damage to his bronchial tubes that seemed beyond their chakra healing abilities.

It seemed to everyone like his days as a ninja were finished, and it clearly upset his teammates and friends. What Natsu had to say between his wheezing breaths was...nothing - he hadn't been speaking much, most likely because he didn't have the energy and didn't do much beyond greeting everyone with a smile. However, Jiraiya knew of a kunoichi whom could help his young student, and he planned on finding her quickly. She suited his purpose for Natsu, and she would also serve as Konoha's new Hokage, though how he would manage to get her to agree to that he didn't know.

But first and foremost, he needed to talk to the Toads, and he wanted Kakashi to be there. Something hadn't been right when he had summoned a few to fight two of Orochimaru's snake summons, and he had a foreboding feeling about it. He didn't believe that Sun-_Kyuubi_ was dead; it was too hard to believe that the demon had risked its life for Natsu- it didn't seem to fall into the characteristics of Kyuubi. He and Kakashi had combed that part of the forest that Uchiha had found his teammate, and had found no body resembling a boy of five-two, or even the body of a fox. There _had_ been bodies- countless sound-nin, and many of them looked mangled, limbs torn and chest cavities exposed and empty. _That_ seemed more like the work of a demon.

Kakashi nodded to him and leaned against the wall of his hotel room, arms folded in front of his chest in a lackadaisical manner.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu," Jiraiya murmured as he wiped a bloody thumb across the summoning toad scroll. For a disturbing second, nothing happened, a second long enough to raise Kakashi's brow just as there was a poof, and a Toad the size of a pony appeared, spotted black and yellow. Its rectangular eyes rolled around the room quickly, before settling to blink at him. Jiraiya was startled- he had never seen this Toad before.

"What is it?" the Toad inquired apathetically, staring at them. This was unusual behavior for one of them.

"Er, who are you?" Jiraiya asked, blushing slightly.

"I'm Gamakotchi. What do you want?"

"What do you know about the nine tailed fox demons?" he tossed out boldly, realizing that this Toad didn't care for niceties.

The Summon blinked, then made some type of shrug. "Besides the fact that he is the _only_ nine tailed fox? Nothing. If you want to know of such a creature, ask the Dog spirits- their _territory_ is next to Kyuubi's."

Jiraiya turned inquiring eyes toward Kakashi, who sighed and shrugged. Jiraiya turned back to Gamakotchi. "Alright, thanks for your help."

The Toad stared at them for a moment before poofing away.

Promptly after its departure, Kakashi summoned a Dog, and he too pulled up an unknown summon with square wire-rimmed glasses.

"I'm Jirobu. What can I do for you?" The Dog sniffed around quickly, its crème flesh shivering in the air conditioned room.

Kakashi raised a hand in greeting. "What can you tell us about Kyuubi?"

The Dog turned its muzzled face into a grimace. "What can I say? His _territory _is next to ours- though he hasn't been there in twelve years- his little hell spawn foxes make sure we don't ever try to take the _territory_ back."

"Did any of you know him?"

Jirobu frowned. "No, we Spirits do not associate with the Demons- we barely tolerate sharing the same space." The Dog settled on its haunches and nudged its glasses, clearly getting into lecture mode. "They're hoarders by nature you know, especially foxes. Anything shiny, sparkly...once they have possession of something, the likelihood of stealing it is slim- and even then they'd raise all hell to get it back." the Dog made a snuffing sound of wry amusement. "Probably due to their long existence, the older they are, the more petty they get." He surveyed them over his glasses in an oddly human way. "The Monkeys claim that Enma came across Dyadem. Is it true?" Jirobu moved to the window and stuck his nose out into the air. "Oh yes, Kyuubi was here, I'd recognize his scent anywhere. Surprising this village is still standing..." He murmured thoughtfully to himself, though they clearly heard his last words.

"Who is Dyadem?" Jiraiya asked, and the Dog moved from the window.

"A possessing Demon. But that isn't what should concern you, what should is the fact that both Dyadem _and_ Shukaku are here with Kyuubi." Jirobu stared at them intently. "Both were Kyuubi's minions, and the fact that they have reunited here makes Fire Country a very unpopular place to be right now." He looked at Jiraiya. "You'll be lucky to get the Toads to return."

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "What makes you say that?"

"You forget? The Toads helped your human Hokage seal Kyuubi away. When he returns, he may head straight for our realm and exact revenge on the Toads. Gamabunta and _all _his offspring are no match for such a Demon."

That explained the unknown Toad, and the overall uneasiness of the Toads he had summoned earlier.

"Actually, Fire Country won't be a popular place for _any_ spirit right now. Fire Country is Kyuubi's territory, and it has been since before you humans occupied it. The revenge of a Fox Demon could be infinite. You have no idea the reputation Kyuubi has in the Spirit Realm."

Kakashi moved away from the wall.

"Are you speaking of war? We've stopped Kyuubi before, we can do it again."

"You never really saw the full might of such a creature. You took him by surprise. If he had come down here with his legions of hell spawn..." The Dog bared its teeth in a jackal like grin. "You can only fool a fox once." With those words, the Dog Summon poofed away, leaving both shinobi to stare at each other.

"I doubt Sunny is dead," Jiraiya grumbled.

--

Natsu blinked grainy eyes at the door, wondering what was taking his mother so long. She'd left his side briefly to wash his clothes and bring home-cooked meals instead of the gruel the hospital provided, and he had been relieved for his moment of reprieve from her. His mother had been on him like flies on poop ever since the invasion, and since she hadn't turned up yet, he imagined that she was probably antagonizing the doctors into releasing him early. His first degree burns had finally cleared up, and the medic nins had healed his broken bones and torn ligaments, but his somewhat scorched lungs refused to function like they used to. It was amazing how one took something as simple as breathing for granted. Now each breath burned, each inhale seemed restricted, like a band was wrapped around his lungs, making breathing an actual labor. Sometimes he just wanted to stop breathing, give it up as a lost cause, but the oxygen mask practically strapped to his face kept shoving fresh oxygen down his nose and mouth. His mother wanted him home, so he could be a ruined kid there, instead of in the hospital.

Natsu sighed, then coughed into the mask, feeling his lungs spasm miserably. He squeezed his eyes shut as his lungs burned angrily, and he wheezed, opening his eyes and catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror across from the window where he was currently sitting. His face had a grayish blue color he didn't like and his eyes were rimmed red and glassy. What a mess- what a mess he had made of himself. This is what happened to mediocre ninja who weren't fast, or smart, or had any special abilities. They got hurt, and they got their friends killed.

His eyes watered and he swallowed convulsively, rubbing his eyes roughly. If only he had jumped out of that damned tree instead of getting stuck in it like some pathetic Academy student. If only he had been proficient, better, stronger, Sunny wouldn't have had to die. Natsu flinched as a memory returned, Sunny looking at him as his throat was cut, Sunny looking confused and frightened, and _in_ s_o much pain _as he coughed up his own lungs! How dare he, Natsu, complain about scorched lungs while Sunny had gone through the pain of choking his up! And it was all his fault- for being mediocre, for being absolutely average, for being dead weight.

The door opened and in rushed his mother, her face pinched with worry, hands full of bags. Natsu quickly lowered his head, wiping his eyes so she wouldn't see that he was practically crying. When he looked up again he was startled to see that his mother hadn't come alone, but was accompanied by two men, both wearing long black cloaks with what looked like red swirls- or clouds, running along them. Both wore sun hats that covered their faces from view, and both were ninja; he could tell this by the way they occupied the space in the room, and because the taller man leaning in the doorway had a very large sword strapped to his back, though it was covered in cloth.

The smaller ninja had approached and stood before him, lifting his head and allowing Natsu to see his eyes, his sharingan eyes, and Natsu gasped, coughed, and looked for his mother, who stood at his side, one hand on his shoulder, dark eyes wide in fear. She too must sense the peril that they were in.

Natsu did not know this man, but he could clearly deduce that he was a relative of Sasuke's, though he had been under the impression that Sasuke no longer had any relatives.

"What is it?" He wheezed, squeezing his mother's hand. She squeezed back.

"I'm looking for Uzumaki Naruto," the unknown Uchiha replied in an apathetic monotone. The man behind him lifted his head, and Natsu shuddered when he saw his strange face and pale blue coloring.

"I dunno...anyone...with that...name," he wheezed in reply, averting his eyes from the Uchiha. The blue skinned man moved from the doorway, and in a flash he was by his mother's side, grabbing her arm and pulling her away from him.

Natsu jumped up from the chair to grab his mother, but his lungs chose to seize on him and he fell to his knees, coughing and gasping for air.

"Leave...her alone!"

"Of course," the Uchiha replied disinterestedly. "Tell us where Uzumaki is."

Natsu shook his head. "I told you! I don't...know anyone by that...name!"

The blue faced man's grip tightened on his mother's arm, and she gave a small squeak of pain.

"You lie," the blue faced man chuckled. "Rumor is, you and he are friends."

Natsu removed the annoying mask from his face and took deep, painful breaths of the normal hospital air, before looking up at the two ninja.

"You mean Sunny?"

The blue man gave a robust laugh. "Is that what you fools call him? Sunny?"

"Where is he," the cold Uchiha asked, and his red eyes drifted up to look at his mother. Natsu followed his line of vision, and understood the threat.

"He died..." Natsu wheezed miserably. "During...the Sound and Sand...attack. In...the forest."

He lowered his eyes, staring at the tiled floor, feeling the cold red eyes examining him, weighing his words no doubt, then he heard his mother squeak, and his head darted up to see her drop to his side, wrapping her arms about him. Both the ninja were no where in sight. He had to warn someone!

"Mom..." he rasped, trying to push himself out of her arms. "Mom let go! You...have to alert...any ninja."

Yoko wiped her face and jumped to her feet, heading to the door.

"Nono!" Natsu called from the floor, pointing toward the phone by the bed. "Don't leave! Dial... the number 326." he turned and pulled himself back into the chair. Gods, he was so weak! "It should...get you to...an official...in the Hokage's...Tower."

Though it wouldn't get to a Hokage, seeing that they no longer had one. Natsu covered his face with a trembling hand as he mother's hysterical voice went into the phone.

--

Shiki hovered in his father's bedroom doorway, hands wringing his fingers as he stared at his father, who lay on the floor, body spasming, spittle coming from his mouth. His wonderful, kind, mysterious father, who had been acting increasingly distracted for the last few weeks now seemed to have come to the climax of his recent, distant behavior.

Shiki wanted to go screaming into the streets, calling for help, get the Mist medic nins to come, anyone, really, to help his father, but all he could do was stand and watch. His father gave a final spasm and became still, just a a blue light floated from his back and rose into the room. Shiki stared, stunned, as the blue light hovered and flickered over his father, and then, words came to his mind, gentle, soothing, beautiful words.

"_I'm afraid there isn't anything I could do, child, for I have been in his body for too long._" Then the light flickered madly, then floated out of the window. Shiki's legs moved and he ran to the window, and watched as the light floated up into the sky and seemed to disappear. Shiki gave a small moan and sank down to sit on the floor.

His father had just floated away, and left this lump of a body behind.

His father had left him all alone.

**TBC**

**Like I said, very short. I introduced Itachi and Kisame of course, and Jiraiya has gone off to find Tsunade- not for Sasuke, but for Natsu. About the hell spawn foxes- yes , you will see them in the near future.**

**The difference between a Master and a Greater Demon is simple. Kyuubi, Dyadem, and Shukaku are all Greater Demons. Greater Demons have chakra and can use them. But only Kyuubi and Dyadem are Masters. It means they're older, more powerful (especially Kyuubi) and have a lot more going on.**

**I also had Keiyatsutsan appear, who is also a Master. Guess where he's going.**

**Sunny will return the next chapter, with possibly a few changes. We'll just have to see. **


	23. The Fox and the Princess

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion

_**More confrontations with Hokage's and much dialogue- though it shouldn't be boring. I hope.**_

**Dancing with Demons**

**Chapter Twenty Two**

_**The Fox and the Princess**_

He wasn't quite sure how long he had been lying, staring into the darkness, but as mobility returned to him, he promised the first thing he was going to do was take a hefty bite out of Tsorn. He groaned and pulled his arms under him, pushing himself up against the weight of fur that had covered him while he healed. And what a nasty healing it had been. His lungs had burned, his regrowing arm had ached so very much. His head emerged from the fur and fresh air assaulted his regenerated lungs, and Sunny gave an audible 'ahhh' of pleasure. A stalagmite protruded from the fur near him, his arm shot out and grabbed it, and he pulled himself from the suffocating blanket that had covered him. Oooh he was going to get Tsorn for burying him!

Sunny sat upon the stalagmite and blinked blearily at his surroundings, recognizing the cave- _his_ cave – and felt a moment of contentment. That faded quickly when he was assaulted by his own smell, and he grunted, looking down at the brown stains that covered his body. He reeked, his breath smelled like something had died and rotted in his mouth, and his hair hung around him in greasy clumps. He needed to bathe immediately, and his ears twitching for the sound of water, which he could hear dripping somewhere in the near distance.

He stood up, twisting his arm about to crack the kinks in his shoulders and hopped down from the stalagmite, landing on the soft fur- and a body part hit the stalagmite. On later reflection, the situation had been so bizarre, so unexpected, that his very brain had problems computing his new, extra limb. Sunny turned in a stunned circle, spotting the protrusion that came from his butt. It was a long, reddish-brown tail, longer than he was tall, and it shimmered and writhed about the stalagmite as if it had a life of its own.

Sunny opened his mouth, perhaps to shout, perhaps to scream, he did not know, and instead shut it and reached out a shaky hand to touch his tail and marveled as it unfurled itself from the stalagmite and moved into his hand. Sunny gasped. This was no normal tail, for it was made completely of chakra, and when he examined his butt, he noticed that there was nothing between his tail bone and the actual tail except air. He waved a finger in between the space, and could feel the constant flow of chakra coming from his tail bone. He stared blankly at the writhing appendage and waited for some type of response to come to him. Maybe this was the result of hunger, or his beating from the human, or simply the next step of his _change, _he did not know, except that now he wanted to curse.

\_Tsorn_!/ he all but screamed, and his voice echoed about the cave, and the sound of claws on rock approached; he looked up to see Tsorn crawl down a stalactite, nails digging into the little nooks of the rock, luminous yellow eyes looking pleased, but wary, to see him. \Look, look, look!/ he pointed at the writhing tail that seemed to have a mind of its own. \Look at it! I have a tail!/

Tsorn dropped down onto his fur and approached, but stopped when he was hit by Sunny's reeking scent.

\Glad to see you're well- yes I see the tail -it's very nice. But why are you mad?/

\It's a chakra tail!/ He grabbed the tail and shoved it toward the lesser demon. \Go on! Touch it!/ Tsorn moved away from the tail, clearly remembering the damage the chakra had done to his torso in what felt like decades ago.

\Yes, I see that. But why are you so mad?/

Sunny dropped the tail, and it moved about on its own business. \I can't have a chakra tail!/ Sunny threw his hands up in exasperation. \Chakra leaves a signature! Humans can sense chakra! This is giving me away! Why couldn't I have a _normal_ tail?!/ Tsorn's yellow eyes continued to watch him in that wary way, enough that Sunny stopped his rant and sent his pack mate a quizzical look. \What's the matter, Tsorn?/

Tsorn head turned to survey the cave, then turned back to him. \Do you feel any different?/

Sunny scratched his dirty scalp in confusion. \No...not really...well, besides being dirty, annoyed, and terribly hungry? I feel pretty much the same./ he glanced around the dark cave. \Where's Dyadem? He's got to tell me how to get rid of this tail./

\He went to fetch food/ Tsorn moved away from him and headed down a narrow path. \he said you would be up and about anytime now./

Sunny followed along, scratching at his skin and eyeing his familiar surroundings. His stomach grumbled miserably, and he knew what little reserves he had managed to build up were very much gone, washed away in his _healing_ _rest._ He stretched his newly regrown forearm, his mind remembering the sharp pain, though it had been largely eclipsed by his b urning chest.

The sound of water became more audible as Tsorn descended down into a crevice, and Sunny eagerly followed behind him, taking several deep, rattling breaths, coughing several times to clear out the remainder of blood that had settled within, and gave a sigh of relief. The burning pain had passed.

The cave was far enough into the earth that the only light came from strange glowing moss that clung to the stalactites. Their minimal light, however, was enough to allow them all to see, though he imagined that a human would be completely blind down here. There were tunnels that connected to vast caverns, and he knew that they ran throughout all of Fire Country; he could tell places he had been before- or Kyuubi, judging by how much to how little fur littered the rocky floor. Apparently Kyuubi had a shedding problem.

To his delight they came upon the water, which cascaded gently into a pool large enough to fit both of them, though it would be unlike Tsorn to spend large amounts of time in water unless it was raining and unavoidable.

Tsorn suddenly shoved him from behind, and with a shock, he dropped into the freezing water, something he hadn't endured since his nice warm showers amongst the humans. The showers had spoiled him. Clearly.

He became aware of a loud hissing along with the sound of water in his ears as his body slowly descended deeper into the pool, and as he turned, was assaulted by warm bubbles, many of them, and as he blinked them away spied his chakra tail drifting in the water, the heat from the chakra making underwater ripples.

He surfaced to steam rising in the air, and in no time, the water was bubbling. Sunny mostly stayed under water, soaking away the dried blood and grime that had settled into his skin and hair. As his brown pants floated along for the soak, he pondered his situation.

He wasn't sure Natsu had gotten away from the burning forest; the last thing he had seen was the smoke, burning trees, and a clouded sky. After that he had been carried away on Tsorn's back, feeling pieces of his lungs break away while fresh new pieces took its place. Then Dyadem had taken them here, and he'd had such a memory, one where he was much taller, much less pain- he'd felt invincible actually, and he had seen Dyadem, his young friend, floating about. He had remembered this, the complete familiarity of the cave, the belonging and self- surety, and then the memory had faded into knowledge, an understanding that he and Dyadem had been friends for a very _long_ time. After that, he had spent the remainder of that time buried, staring at nothing, feeling the constant ache of his regrowing forearm after his lungs had healed. Limb regrowth was an awful, nagging pain, and he understood that bone regrowth happened much slower that simple muscle and flesh; he vowed to himself never to lose a limb again, for it took too much time to come back.

And through it all, he knew nothing of Natsu's well-being, and the wondering of this caused him to float to the surface of his steaming pool, pushing his hair out of his eyes and spying Dyadem at the edge, black star-lit eyes focused on him.

\You have recovered/ Dyadem's voice glided through his head like the vanilla candy Natsu had once given him. \This is very pleasing to see./ There was the scent of blood in the air, and smeared along Dyadem's blue muzzle, and Sunny's stomach gave an audible groan. \We have much to discuss/ Dyadem continued as he pulled himself from the pool, pulling the brown pants out with him and wringing it carefully. He smiled cheerfully at his blue companion before heading eagerly back up to where he had stopped his _healing_ _rest_, delighted to see an array of food piled there. He spotted a doe, two bears, several birds, and scattered about the bodies were sticks and twigs full of peppermint leaves. Sunny trilled in delight and dug in.

--

As Tsorn crunched away at a bear thigh, his yellow eyes watched Sunny from amongst the rocks, taking in every minutia of the blond youngling, looking for the dreaded changes that he imagined would be the ruin of him. He'd hunted down the peppermint to see Sunny's reaction to it, to see if he would be happy or dismissive of the plant. He had been reassured that part of Sunny's personality by how pleased the youngling was. The birds were also his idea. He had feared, that Sunny had faded and the dreaded Kyuubi had taken his place, especially when he saw that tail, that now charred away at a bird while Sunny munched away at a bears heart. At the scent of the smoke, Sunny's head whipped around, glaring at the tail and pulling it away from the crispy bird, and the tail wrapped itself around Sunny's shoulders almost lovingly. Sunny's annoyance seemed to increase by how viciously he finished off that heart.

Sunny's face seemed more narrow now, less oval, and his hair had grown to his shoulders. His fingers seemed a bit longer, and he had grown a few inches. These things meant little to him beyond the fact that Sunny was getting older, what he worried about was what was going on in that blond head.

The Greater Demons had all but abandoned the Lessers when they had fled to the Spirit Realm, leaving them to be picked off one by one- or in packs, by the humans. Greater Demons barely noticed Lesser Demons, as humans barely noticed animals, if only so they were useful. He knew Dyadem tolerated him for Sunny's sake, because Sunny was attached to him by blood, which had become very clear when they had been reunited, and he knew, that the day Sunny was no longer Sunny, that he would either cease to exist or be without anyone. Which was not acceptable- for Tsorn was a pack demon, and could not survive alone- not willingly anyway.

Dyadem wanted Kyuubi back, and Kyuubi would have no use for a Lesser Demon. Kyuubi had Dyadem and Shukaku, both Greater Demons, and one of them a Master. What did _he_ have to offer?

Sunny seemed to have satisfied his hunger, and was now picking off the feathers from the remaining bird, a duck- he thought, and he watched as the youngling stuck and twined them into his wild messy hair, grunting and muttering to himself that it was too long, and that he would have to cut it again, all the while munching away on peppermint, so that the blood scented cave became mingled with the fresh sharp scent. All of these were perfectly normal Sunny behavior, down to him looking peeved about his missing trinkets. But how much of Kyuubi lurked within?

Dyadem glided around a rocky corner, muscles moving in his power legs, his eyes full of secrets; Tsorn's yellow eyes narrowed minutely as the blue possessor settled down near Sunny, who looked up at him in agitation.

\Dyadem! This tail has to go! It's wasting my chakra./ The youngling whined.

\It's not/ came the possessors calm reply.

Sunny scowled and stood up, his face becoming still, and Tsorn felt and saw the chakra tail waver, then dissolve into mist, and its presence faded. \Ah-hah!/ Sunny crowed in delight, several feathers dislodging from his hair. \That was easy. Now I can return to the villa-/

\We have other things to do/ Dyadem interrupted, surprising both of them, and Sunny blinked at the blue demon in curiosity. Those black eyes seemed to bore into the youngling, and Tsorn shuddered at the thought of them looking at him that way. \That snake-human- what was his name?/

Sunny frowned. \Orochimaru. What was it that he summoned- that thing-/ at this he rubbed his arms as if to brush away a chill. \I have seen it before- many times, I think. I do not like it./

Tsorn saw the fur ripple along Dyadem's body, and watched as the possessor's black eyes widened, as if stunned by Sunny's words.

\I believe you/ the demon's words were barely more than a whisper through their minds, \for you have lived a very, very, long time. I imagine not even Keiyatsutsan has seen all that you have./ Sunny cocked his head to the side in response, and Tsorn caught the slight widening of the orange ring around his vertical pupils. \I believe even Death would have a hard time sealing you away forever./ Dyadem seemed to straighten and his voice became louder. \We shall find a many great things inside this humans' mind, this Orochimaru from the village of Sound. We should go forth and collect his brain, and thus find the knowledge to release _your_ mind from the remainder of its trappings./

Tsorn sucked in a breath and looked at Sunny, who seemed thoughtful, then shrugged.

\I want to go back to Konoha and see who has survived. There is still much to learn an-/

\Your misplaced affection for the humans there is a waste and beneath you!/ Dyadem snapped suddenly, causing Tsorn to jump and Sunny to go completely still. He had never heard Dyadem use that tone with Sunny. Both Masters stared at each other, Sunny with his crimson and orange eyes, and Dyadem with his twilight eyes, and Tsorn cringed under the force of their dominance, could feel the unseen fight between the two. Sunny's pupils thinned so completely that they all but disappeared and the white of his eyes burst into a swirl of blood, and it suddenly seemed as if the youngling were hundreds of feet tall, looking down on them. Tsorn wasn't even a part of the fight, and yet he cowered by his rocks, hoping that he wouldn't be noticed, wouldn't be crushed.

And then Dyadem looked away, taking two steps back and sitting on his haunches, clearly losing the fight, and most likely all future fights as well. But Dyadem didn't look embarrassed, or angry- no, as a matter of fact, he looked downright pleased.

Sunny was back to looking blond and harmless, eyes back to their normal red, chewing away at his peppermint, as if the last forty seconds hadn't happened. He turned away from Dyadem, smiling cheerfully at him, then said, \One must always look after his minions./ Dyadems' head whipped up, staring at the back of Sunny's head, black lips pulling up to show onyx teeth, and his laughter rang throughout their heads.

\Then I must tell you, that the Hokage was killed by Orochimaru./

The smile faded from Sunny's face as he turned to look at Dyadem, who turned away and glided deeper into the cave.

--

The two of them traveled back towards the Hidden Village, playing the Game as they went, and Sunny had told him of the human Sasuke-boy, of whom he had gotten good, and had been waiting months for the human to retaliate. Sunny was under the impression that Sasuke- boy was planning something truly diabolical for him to be taking so long.

He kept up the chatter, completely himself, until they reached the burned areas where he had found Sunny, and they could smell nothing but the ash from trees, and the scorched earth. That managed to put a damper on Sunny's mood, and they traveled all the way to the road quickly, peering out to see that it was empty. Sunny cocked his ears up, listening for the sound of nearby humans, but they were too distant, all most likely in the village.

\I'll _Lure_ you in/ Tsorn offered quietly, resigning himself to the unfortunate company of the possessor. Sunny's head swiveled around and looked up at him, deep and thoughtful, and he watched as the youngling's eyes bled to blue.

\I wish the others were here/ his voice went from the familiar deep baritones of natural demontongue, to the light octave that the humans had. "Everything would be better."

Yes, everything would have been much better.

--

Natsu headed quickly for the bridge where his team often met, a lozenge in his mouth to soothe his raw throat. Tsunade-sama had cleared up his damaged lungs with the expertise of a goddess, but there had been some damage to his throat that was mostly unimportant- it was simply sore all the time. It had been three months since then, and he had been taking training very seriously, when he wasn't helping rebuild Konoha, which had taken circumstantial damage in the attack -the villagers of Konoha seemed to be a bit shell shocked even though they had gotten straight to work. Natsu found that the hard labor had racked up some good D-rank missions for Team Seven, and had increased the level of teamwork between the three of them- though Sasuke remained as antisocial as usual, maybe even more so when he heard of his brother's presence in Konoha.

He knew of what had happened to the superior Uchiha clan, that Sasuke's older brother Itachi had murdered everyone but Sasuke; he had always wondered why that was so, that perhaps the older Uchiha held some affection for his little brother and had been reluctant to kill him. But that man had seemed so cold to Natsu, so uncaring, even inhuman. It had been frightening, and he could no longer imagine that there was an emotion such as affection in such a person.

What questions remained however, was what Itachi had wanted with Sunny. Sasuke believed that the two had been in business with one another- though he did not say this to Natsu, mainly because anyone mentioning Sunny made him really upset. Sasuke had been decent about it, mostly because he knew that the brunette was having a hard time hating someone who had sacrificed his life to save his teammate. But that didn't stop him from believing that Sunny and Itachi had known one another.

Natsu sighed and shook his head. Of course, he didn't believe such a thing, and neither did Kakashi-sensei and Jiraiya-sensei, who both had questioned him deeply on the encounter several times over. They'd also asked him about the other monsters that he had seen- the blue wolf and the brown monster. These two seemed to be the object of both the ninja's attention, and they had gone very still when he had made the connection of the blue wolf to the strange man asking about summoning contracts. He couldn't help notice how apprehensive they were about Sunny, even though he was dead.

Another big talk these last few weeks was about Suna, and Gaara of the Sand's defection. Apparently the sand-nin had returned home extremely agitated, ignoring orders and leaving the village without permission. He had eventually killed several guards and disappeared. Everyone was speculating where he had gone, or who he had joined. Natsu had an eerie feeling that Gaara was going to come here, and by the increase of guards, and the intense looks at any boy who had red hair, he wasn't the only one who thought so.

Sasuke, in one of his more talkative moments, had mentioned that when he had chased Gaara into the woods, and was about to fight, the sand-nin had suddenly become distracted, and had left him right before the battle started, which was how Sasuke had found him- he'd been chasing after Gaara.

Something bright and blond caught his eye, and Natsu turned his head, freezing as his brain took in what he was seeing; he opened his mouth, eyes wide, and managed only a grunt. It was Sunny, frail and taller than he remembered, with his halo of hair crowding his face and shoulders, littered with brown and white speckled feathers, and he glided through the villagers like he was walking on air. His eyes ran over his body, taking in the unmarred neck and perfectly functional arm that swung languidly at his sides. Sunny stopped and lifted his head to the wind, nostrils flaring, and then those blue eyes opened and looked directly at him. A smile bloomed on his face, and his lips moved as he glided toward him, but Natsu could hear nothing beyond the pounding of his pulse in his ears.

Sunny should be dead- there was no way he could have survived through mustard gas and a slit throat. It was-it was...

"Natsu," his voice was only a little deeper than Natsu remembered, but he said it the same way, with the same inflection on the 'N'.

"Impossible," Natsu breathed as Sunny stopped in front of him, the familiar whiff of peppermint in the air. "How..." he stuttered, and Sunny looked him over, most likely also searching for wounds. Then he peered at him, his smile becoming more puzzled.

"What's matter Natsu?"

"H-how are you alive? You should be dead!" His whole body felt cold and yet he had broken out into a sweat. Sunny's puzzled smile faded into a frown and he cocked his head sharply to the side.

"Dead? Why would I be dead?"

"B-because you breathed in poison gas!" he exclaimed incredulously. "And you got your throat cut open, a-and ok, maybe- just maybe you could have survived that, but not poison gas. _No_ _one_ has lived after breathing that stuff in." He leaned against the side of the building, feeling quite weak of a sudden. "It's just...impossible."

Sunny stared at him, scratching his scalp and messing around with one of the feathers before stating quite frankly, "I'm a Demon. The poison was temporary."

Then he was back to looking cheerful as if the subject was closed. Natsu opened his mouth to protest, but shut it as full knowledge arrived. Sunny was alive. He was alive- the clear opposite of dead...

Natsu leaped forward and gripped Sunny's bony shoulders, squeezing them very tightly, blinking back a well of tears. Sunny was alive. Sunny beamed at him, then to his own shock, leaned forward and pressed his lips against Natsu's forehead. Natsu gasped and jumped back, rubbing his forehead vigorously.

"What the hell was that?!" he all but shrieked.

"A kiss." Sunny was swinging his arms at his sides, eyes shut, face still grinning, oblivious to Natsu's embarrassment. He glanced around, hoping no one had seen a half naked boy kiss him.

"Geez Sunny! I didn't know you were into guys! You can't just toss that out on me!"

Sunny was back to looking puzzled. "But I like you," he replied quickly.

"Well I don't like you that way! We're just friends!" Sunny looked so confused that it would have been funny if he wasn't so far out of his comfort zone.

"Mayu said a kiss was to show you like someone," Sunny's tone was heavy with accusation.

"Oh no- oh...okay, I see," Natsu sighed in relief. Apparently whoever this Mayu was, she hadn't explained kissing very well. "What Mayu _should_ have told you, was that kissing is done by mothers and fathers, or uh...people who want to er- mate." Of course, he was over simplifying it, but by Sunny's appalled expression, it had done its job.

"Oohhh," Sunny murmured, looking horrified. "I don't want to mate with you," he stated with a grimace and an actual shudder. "No kissing."

"Great!" Natsu grinned, clapping Sunny on the shoulder. "and now that -that horrific incident of embarrassment is over with, I gotta take you home! Mom will be so happy to see you! And you need a shirt." And some food. Lots and lots of food; he could count each one of Sunny ribs and the notches along his spine. He kept expecting Sunny to keel over from malnutrition, but the blond moved along like he was the epitome of health.

"Where have you been these last few months?" he asked, watching as Sunny's eyes darted from people to buildings, to reconstruction, small strange noises coming from his throat, even though his mouth was closed.

"I was in a cave, healing," he replied pleasantly, and lifted an arm- the arm that had been cut off, and shook it with a grimace. "Took much too long to heal...hurted..."

Natsu swallowed thickly, trying not to imagine what kind of pain he must have been in. He opened his mouth, to apologize for getting Sunny into that mess, for getting him hurt, but Sunny stopped walking, stopped moving, even seemed to stop breathing, his blue eyes trained forward, and when Natsu looked, realized that Kakashi- sensei looked much the same, except his eye seemed to be more grim. He should have been at the bridge waiting for him- that is, if he had shown up on time- which he never did.

"So you _are_ alive," Kakashi-sensei murmured, stunning Natsu. What did he mean 'are alive?' Had he known that Sunny was alive all along- while he tortured himself for his failings? "I never got to thank you, for doing your job and protecting a fellow Konoha ninja," he said quietly, and it felt as if no one was in the village beyond the three of them. Sunny turned his head to the right, as if he were going to look at someone else, except that his eyes remained on Kakashi-sensei, so that he was looking at him from the corners of his eyes. It was a strange move in a series of strange moves that he had seen Sunny do in the time that they had become friends. "I should take you to the Tower to see Tsunade-sama- Konoha's new Hokage."

Sunny's head turned forward again, a brow furrowed. "Old...man...Hokage dead?" he seemed to be having a difficult time expressing what he wanted to say.

"Yes," Kakashi-sensei replied with a nod. "He died honorably, protecting this village and all the beloved and precious life in it, as _all_ Hokage's do." Natsu had an eerie feeling that there were double meanings to Kakashi-sensei's words, and watched as Sunny's eyes roved about the village, as if looking for this precious life that Kakashi-sensei had mentioned.

"Right," Natsu stated, breaking the strange silence that had fallen around them. "I guess we should go to the Tower then- mom'll have to wait." They started along in the direction of the Tower, Kakashi-sensei in front of them while Natsu kept up the banter. "You'll like Tsunade-sama. She's kind, and beautiful, and very, very strong, I mean, as powerful as Jiraiya strong-" At this Sunny gave him a sidelong look, like he didn't care much about how strong she was. He supposed Sunny would have preferred Sandaime, and he too wished the kind old man was still here, if only so they could talk, and share candy, and things could be back to normal. But Tsunade-sama was nice, and funny, and had taken good care of him when she had arrived with Jiraiya-sensei. She'd told him that he reminded her of a little brother she once had, which had been real sweet of her, and he imagined she treated him the nicest of all the other genin's because of this. And so he knew that he wanted Tsunade to like Sunny as much as she liked him.

Except...he had a feeling it wasn't going to work out that way.

--

Seeing Sunny before him, alive and well- or maybe just functioning, had put Kakashi through a torrent of emotions. Relief, foreboding, apprehension, dread. He and Jiraiya had gone over the possible threat of Kyuubi, which seemed more possible than ever these last few months. True to Jirobu's words, ninja all over Fire Country were reporting that some of their summon contracts weren't responding, and if so, only when they were far from Fire Country. Sunagakure was in an uproar because their jinchuuriki had gone missing-nin on them, and to top that off, several other jinchuuriki were reported to have been captured by the Akatsuki, a new, potentially powerful foe.

Tsunade had her reluctant hands full, and now Sunny had returned, looking starved and slightly predatory- Kakashi had the urge to stop by a stand and offer Sunny something to eat, and by Natsu's frequent glances at Sunny's ribs, he felt the same way.

He spotted Kurenai with Hinata in front of a shop, and her red eyes zeroed in on Sunny, her mouth opened, looking alarmed and stunned. She looked at him, and Kakashi shrugged in reply. He saw Kiba approaching Hinata, and the dog lover's face turned white when he spotted Sunny.

They made it to the Tower in ten minutes, and that was when he overheard Sunny's strangely accented voice ask, "Who has my necklace?"

"What?" came Natsu's puzzled reply. Sunny was silent for a moment.

"Hokage took my necklace and gave me new ones. But they...are gone. I want mine back." There was a hint of malice in his tone that caused Kakashi to glance back, only to see that Sunny was staring directly at him.

"You won't be getting that necklace back Sun," he replied apathetically, and the blond demon's face became still and empty- but his pupils thinned and became those dangerous vertical slits.

As they approached the Hokage's door, the Anbu guarding it gave a slight gasp. "I don't believe it," he muttered behind his mask, and as Kakashi knocked on the door, Sunny moved toward the Anbu with a cruel smile on his ethereal face.

"Still smell like blood," he mocked, and the Anbu's fists clenched in response.

"Sun," Kakashi only had to say his name, and Sunny moved away from the Anbu to stand next to Natsu, whose eyes darted between all of the them, taking in their actions with a crease between his brows. It surprised him that he still had some control over Sunny; he'd gotten it in his head somehow that if Sunny returned, it wasn't going to be in human form, and it wasn't going to be alone. He expected the black-eyed Dyadem, and the mentally unstable Gaara- or Shukaku. He'd been expecting many things, not semi-simple Sunny.

How had this boy gotten back into the village without alerting every chuunin, Jounin, and Anbu that had been cautioned to look out for anything that resembled him? And it wasn't like Sunny was hard to spot, his hair gleamed, his skin glowed, though it was a more pallid glow than the golden one he remembered, and he was shirtless! Even the way he walked could catch someone's eye, like he was walking on air, like he had muscles in places normal people didn't. It was, apparently how a demon walked, for he had seen it in Dyadem too.

"Come in," the Godaime called, and Kakashi opened the door and gestured the two boys in, and wasn't surprised when the Anbu invited himself in, along with three others. It was a sense of deja vu, Kakashi managed to think as he shut the door behind himself- if only they had the Chair and Ibiki, it would be that interrogation all over again. He suppressed a sigh. Jiraiya should be here, but he had gone out to gather information on the Akatsuki.

Just before the door closed, there came a terrified squeal in the room, and Kakashi spun to see Tsunade-sama's pig leap from her apprentice Shizune's arms and scramble for the door, exiting quickly, screaming at the top of its lungs all the way down the hall. Kakashi shut the door and turned to survey the occupants. Tsunade-sama sat at the large oak desk, blinking in surprise at the door, looking just as startled as Shizune and Natsu. The Anbu made no motion as to whether they were disturbed that the animal had fled Sunny's presence, and Sunny himself seemed more interested in Tsunade than some frightened animal.

The boy was peering at the woman, a small smile on his face. "Pretty," he muttered to himself, and the Godaime leaned back in her chair, honey brown eyes running over the thin form.

"I don't know whether to be flattered by your remark or alarmed," she tapped a finger thoughtfully against the table, and Sunny's eyes darted to its movement, staring at it as Tsunade-sama watched him. "Are you well?" she asked after a moment of silence, in which Natsu had scratched an arm, a nervous gesture that Kakashi was familiar with. Natsu tended to be rough on his skin when he was uncomfortable.

Sunny cocked his head at her question, looking confused.

"You look like you haven't eaten in a while," Tsunade-sama explained, and the smile returned to Sunny's face, and he nodded.

"I ate..." he paused, and Kakashi knew that he was searching for a word. "Recently."

And they all wondered, what- or more like _who_ he had eaten, and one of the Anbu spoke up.

"What unfortunate soul did you devour, demon?" the Anbu spat, disgust and rage thick in his voice; Natsu turned alarmed eyes to him, but Sunny seemed uncaring in that he merely glanced back at the Anbu and smiled charmingly.

"Maybe your mother," he spoke in a soft tone, and the Anbu gave a guttural snarl, moving forward to attack the blond; Kakashi was there in a second, grabbing the enraged Anbu and jerking him back. The other Anbu closest to them grabbed his other arm and held him in place.

"You bastard!" the Anbu shrieked, and Kakashi felt alarm course through him. This Anbu must have lost family in the Kyuubi attack almost thirteen years ago. "You slaughtered thousands and you dare show up here like you own the place?! How dare you! I'll kill you!"

Natsu backed away from Sunny, but seemed more alarmed by the Anbu. "Calm down," Tsunade was ordering, but Sunny chose that moment to state, quite boldly too, "Actually, I _do_ own the place."

Everyone froze for a second, enough time for the Anbu to twist his arm out of Kakashi's grip, while simultaneously elbowing his other comrade in the throat. The other Anbu gurgled and released him, and he hooked a leg around Kakashi's and sent the Special Jounin to the floor. The moment he hit the floor, he was already moving toward Natsu, who would get badly hurt in a few seconds if he didn't get him out of the way. As he grabbed the frozen youth by the shoulder, a deep, reverberating growl shuddered through the room, and a blast of the familiar, angry, evil, chakra blew through the room.

A blast of heated air knocked him forward, pushing him into Natsu and sending them both to the floor. He would have laid there on his student to protect him, but there was the sound of fighting and shouting ringing throughout the room, and his ninja instincts rarely called for inactivity.

Kakashi leaped from Natsu, spinning around with a kunai, and took in the scene. Three of the Anbu were actively engaging an enraged Sunny in combat, but were jutsu trapped by the small room, unwilling to perform large jutsu because of the proximity to the Hokage and each other. What had him alarmed however, was Sunny, and his very long, very familiar chakra tail. It writhed and smashed around the room, attacking the two Anbu while Sunny attacked the enraged Anbu. His frail body was quick and fluid as he slashed claws at the Anbu's mask, carving deep grooves into the wood whenever he got a hit. The Anbu, all the while, screamed words they could not understand, and swung his kunai with pristine expertise, catching the demon several times in fatal places, the jugular, the eyes, the belly...But the moment the kunai left, the second Sunny's flesh opened, it closed, and Sunny kept moving as if he didn't notice. Except for when a kunai sank into his eye again, the demon gave a grunt and jumped back from the Anbu, pulled the kunai out of his eye and tossed it at the Anbu. The man moved to dodge, but the speed of the kunai caught him in his shoulder, lifting the crazed Anbu off of his feet and pinning him to the wall.

The Anbu screamed in pain as Sunny leaped for him; Kakashi pulled out his shuriken and spun it, hamstringing the youth just as Tsunade leaped forward and punched the small blond in the head. It was a testament to her unnatural strength that Sunny flew across the room and crashed into the wall, crushing wood and plaster, almost going through the other side. It was also a testament of Sunny's abilities that the boy did not lose consciousness, instead flopping to the ground, red demonic eyes rolling in their sockets. His tail flopped on the floor, writhing as if in pain just as the door opened and more Anbu popped in. Most immediately moved toward Sunny, the room filled with the Kyuubi chakra, and human killing intent

"_EVERYBODY_ _STOP_!" Tsunade-sama bellowed, and the now crowded room became still, except for Sunny and his tail. The blond was slowly getting to his feet, eyes still rolling, and he placed one hand against the wall to steady himself.

Natsu slipped from behind him and rushed past the Anbu, approaching his blood covered friend. Sunny's rolling eyes stopped and they focused on the Hokage.

"This is my place!" he growled in a deep, unnatural voice, and most of the Anbu broke out in a sweat. "This is my _territory, _and _no_ _one_ tells me to leave!" His small mouth was full of sharp teeth that cut into his lips as he spoke, eyes darting around to take them all in. When the eyes fell on him, Kakashi's spine stiffened. The whole of Sunny's eyes were red, filled with blood, and only a orange ring of fire remained where his pupils usually were. But it was the feeling, the sheer sense of inferiority that crashed through him, that he was in the presence of a great and timeless being, a creature that could crush them all without a thought.

How had Yondaime prevailed against such a creature? Jirobu's words flashed through his mind, that they had not yet seen the true potential of such a creature, that he had been taken by surprise. Would they- _could_ they take him by surprise again? Was that even possible?

"Alright, alright," someone was whispering, and when Sunny looked away from him, and he could breath again he saw that it was Natsu, by Sunny's ear, next to a creature that could kill him without thought, whispering, "let's everyone calm down. There's no reason not to talk this all out like the intelligent beings that we are. We are, aren't we?"

Sunny became still, that unnatural stillness, and the tension seemed to thicken, and then, the chakra tail that was in the process of cooking the floor suddenly dissolved into heated mist, and when it cleared, Sunny was standing calmly next to Natsu, eyes back to that brilliant blue, looking calm, except for there was blood about him. Why was Natsu even a ninja? He was a born diplomat- a natural mediator. Not only had he calmed down a completely deadly situation, but had calmed down a demon.

And then someone gave a gurgled groan, and they were all reminded that there was an Anbu pinned to the wall. The Anbu quickly moved to pull out the kunai and get him down, but the situation became difficult when it was realized that the kunai had disappeared completely into the man's shoulder, hilt and all, and they were forced to dig out the wall around the shoulder so they could get him down.

The Anbu managed to deal with it in pained silence, and spent that time glaring hatefully at Sunny, who's head seemed to twist and turn, as if he were trying to stare at the man from different angles without leaving his spot by the crumbled wall. His movements were very bird-like.

When the Anbu was carried away in a gurney, and more than half the Anbu stayed outside of the room, Tsunade-sama sat down in front of her desk, which had been crushed on one side by Sunny's tail. Most of the room, actually, had scorch marks where Sunny's tail had landed, and he was surprised that the room hadn't caught fire, though it felt like they were all standing in a sauna. He spotted two of the Anbu, the original ones in fact, nursing burns on their arms, first degree, Kakashi thought on first glance. It meant that they had successfully dodged full contact, but it also said that if that tail actually touched them... Most ninja that had fought against Kyuubi had been crushed by one of his nine tails, and he remembered the giant fox hadn't done much in the beginning but let those tail do the damage.

"Alright," Tsunade-sama began in a calm authoritative voice. "We are indeed, intelligent beings," She nodded her approval at Natsu as she said this, "And we'll talk like one. Do you agree?"

Sunny wiped blood from his lips with a finger, and Kakashi thought that it seemed a bit longer than normal, with a sharp pointed fingernail at the end. The blond's eyes darted around the room, then nodded.

"Alright," Tsunade-sama leaned back into her chair again, hands resting on the edge of the desk. "Why don't we just air out the dirty laundry- get this all out of the way." She was staring intently at the blond, finger once again tapping against the table.

"She means, she wants you to be frank- er, I mean, truthful," Natsu whispered to Sunny, and the boy turned his head toward Natsu but kept his eyes on Tsunade, giving a small nod. There was a brief knock on the door, and Kakashi was surprised to see Sarutobi Asuma slip in, without the usual cigarette. He moved and leaned against the wall next to Kakashi, eyes taking in the damaged walls and floors, the occasional sprinkle of blood. Then he focused his eyes on the blond, who was still staring at Tsunade with his head turned to the side.

"Why did you come to Konoha?"

Sunny's head moved forward, eyes drifting to the ceiling as everyone held their breath.

"This is my place," he started, and next to him Asuma jumped, stunned to hear the deep demonic voice coming from the bony, blond child. "It has been my place for a _very_ long time, and _no_ _one_ is going to chase me from it." At this his chakra rose, and rage filled his eyes, the Anbu prepared for another fight, and Natsu rested a hand on his shoulder. This seemed to work, and the blond went back to looking calm and half- empty.

"But that can't be the only reason," Tsunade-sama gleaned. "What other reason brought you here?"

Sunny's eyes narrowed, bleeding back to red, and he lifted a hand and casually picked a thin needle from his right shoulder blade, flicking it to the floor. Kakashi blinked in surprise and glanced over to Shizune, who was standing at Tsunade-sama's side, looking a bit embarrassed. When had she poisoned him? Not that it mattered, for Sunny showed no signs of poisoning. It was likely he just noticed there was a needle in his flesh in the first place.

"Ninja wiped out most of my family. I came from beyond the grass to learn jutsu, so I can...act...exact revenge."

Tension rose in the room, and Natsu paled visibly.

"On us?" Tsunade wanted to clarify before moving into action.

"No. On them, the ones who took from me. They must pay," and there was a hissing click to his words.

"I think he means ninja from Earth Country. That's where he used to live," Natsu added, nervous eyes darting around to everyone in the room. Tsunade-sama's eyes narrowed.

"And what of Konoha?"

"What of it?" Sunny seemed to be losing interest in the conversation, a hand lifting to nudge a feather in his hair. His voice also became higher in pitch, more human sounding, more natural.

"You've simply come here to learn jutsu- then what? Leave?"

Sunny waved his hand dismissively. "I learn jutsu, I go find ninja and kill them. Then..." he gave a shrug and dug into his pocket, pulling out a wad of peppermint leaves and stuffing them into his mouth.

"I see..." Tsunade-sama leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table, intertwining her fingers and stared out at Sunny like he was a particularly interesting creature.

"Who is this Dyadem?" Asuma startled them all, and Sunny lifted his head and peered at the man. "He tried to steal my father's body- I want to know who he is."

"Who your father?" Sunny seemed only vaguely curious.

Asuma's lips pursed.

"He was the late Hokage," Natsu hissed quickly. "You know, Sandaime!"

Recognition passed over Sunny's face, then a flash of sadness, and the boy looked at Kakashi.

"Orochimaru killed him?"

Kakashi nodded and watched as the pink lips thinned, and the red eyes glowed with fury. He saw new interest bloom in Tsunade-sama's face, and he knew she was thinking what every ninja besides Natsu was thinking at that moment. How could they use this creature? How much damage could they exact with such a tool?

"He is my _minion_," Sunny's voice destroyed their thoughts with the level of malicious amusement it held, and they remembered the original question.

"What did he want with my father?"

The blond grinned at Asuma, baring the mouth full of deadly teeth. "His brain," and he seemed to get a kick out of watching their faces pale. "To eat," he added, and watched them all swallow convulsively. His eyes drifted away from them and he spoke again, almost as if to himself, "So much to learn from eating brains."

"What can you learn?" This was from Shizune, who hadn't spoken until now, and her face was full of medic-nin interest. Sunny smiled at her.

"Everything," he replied in an almost dreamy tone, and his crimson eyes began to glow strangely.

Shizune sucked in her breath and asked the question they all now wanted to know. "Then, why try to learn jutsu the normal way when you could just steal it from a powerful ninja's brain?" At this the Anbu stiffened and waited for a reply.

Sunny grimaced and waved his hand dismissively. "Brains not so tasty," he said, and then the grimace faded and his eyes glowed even more. They suddenly seemed older somehow, and then of a sudden, they seemed ancient, and it was all they had not to avert their eyes and cower before him. "Besides," and his voice was just as ancient as his eyes, his presence. "I know of a fool who ate too many brains, and treacherous he became."

And as suddenly as it was there, it fled leaving the blond looking slightly confused, as if he didn't know where the words had come from. Except the rest of them understood, that pieces of Kyuubi's mind were littered throughout Sunny's psyche. There was a silence about the room, no one knowing what to say, and Sunny munching away on peppermint leaves and looking like he was on his way to forgetting that he wasn't alone in the room.

"So," Natsu said suddenly, and they all looked at him. "Why don't we get you some clothes, eh?" clearly making that their cue to exit. Tsunade-sama looked like she wanted to protest but then spoke something completely different.

"Tell me Sunny? Do demons have honor?"

Sunny looked at her in clear surprise. "Doesn't everything?" A good question.

"By your honor, do not betray us."

Sunny's blond brows rose, his mouth opened, and he gave a clear trill of laughter, taking Natsu's hand and pulling his student out the door, his laughter still ringing even as the door shut.

"I don't see what's so damn funny," Asuma grumbled, pulling out a cigarette.

Kakashi sighed and his eye moved about the room. With Sunny back, no doubt the Akatsuki would return, though he imagined that even if they managed to capture him, there would be no demon to extract. The only question remaining was, is Sunny Kyuubi, or is Kyuubi Sunny? Which personality, which memory, would prevail?

**TBC**

**Yes, some big changes from canon, one being that Gaara definitely won't be Kazekage. Though it may seem so, Sunny won't be spending much time in Konoha this time.**

**Frequent question asked- **Who is Shiki?** Shiki was simply the name of the boy whose father was possessed by Keiyatsutsan. He is not important.**

**When in wolf form, or light form, Dyadem's voice goes directly through ones' mind, being that a wolf's mouth is inadequate for speaking, and a ball of light has no mouth at all. Mind you- the summons do talk with their mouths- but Dyadem isn't a summon.**

**Sunny is exhibiting more demonic characteristics, as you can see.**


	24. Reacquaintances and Greetings

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion, and is the property of Kishimoto Masashi

::weh-weh:: means that they are talking in the tongue of the spirits

\weh-weh/ means they are talking in Demontongue

**Dancing with Demons**

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

_**Re-acquaintances and Greetings**_

Jirobu crested the craggy rocks, his glasses slipping down his muzzle yet again as he peered over the rocks down into the land that no longer belonged to the Dogs, and had been taken over by the Nine Tailed Fox millenniums ago. Normally a very noisy type of demon, the last twelve years had been unusually quiet ever since Kyuubi's abrupt departure, and his Hell Foxes had become unnaturally reclusive. The Dogs hadn't for a second believed that the Fox had abandoned his _territory, _but a few of the courageous, or insane, in his opinion, had ventured over the boundary into the Fox's to test the theory. The Hell Fox's had come at the Dogs from their little caves, holes in the ground, and they knew that Kyuubi still owned the land. But they had been so silent the last twelve years, that now the yipping and howling drew the attention of every Dog.

Down in the plain was a horde of Hell Fox, writhing and rubbing about one another, all reds and browns, all with two long wild tails. Their vermilion eyes glowed, and the mass of them caused the collective light from their eyes to bathe the area in a red light.

Jirobu resisted the urge to shrink back as he spotted a four-tailed Hell Fox, and this one stood on its hind legs, face flatter than the other Hell Fox, so that it had an almost humanoid appearance. Its face was split in a grin, dagger teeth constantly gleaming, forever a sinister smile on its face. It moved fluidly amongst the horde, and the Hell Foxes brushed up against its legs and tails.

Then the Hell Fox turned abruptly, its crimson eyes connecting with Jirobu's pale ones, and the Dog sucked in his breath as the four- tailed Hell Fox moved through the horde and made its way up the crags that separated the Nine Tails from the Dogs territory. It stopped before him, cresting at eight and a half feet, made of red muscle and sinew, and grinned down at him.

::What is it that you want, Spirit?::

Jirobu shrugged- it was best not to show fear in front of such a creature- it excited them. ::I was curious- you have been so quiet for so long, that your sudden activity has intrigued me. Tell me, is it because of Kyuubi?::

A reverberating growl came from the four tail's chest, the teeth seemed to shine more, but he could sense no aggression in the sound.

::Soon we will be reunited- soon Master Kyuubi will call upon us again.::

::War?::

More teeth. ::Perhaps, perhaps. Whatever Master Kyuubi desires, for we are his obedient children.::

The tails moved forward and attempted to touch him, causing Jirobu to step back into the safety of the Dog territory. The four tailed demon continued to smile, red eyes watching him before it turned away and fluidly drifted down the rocks.

They called themselves his children, but Jirobu had once seen them drop from his fur, and he had been under the impression that they were merely pieces of the Nine Tailed Fox. He moved from the border quickly, mind full of thoughts, as it usually was. Surely, it would not be safe for any summon to be near Konoha, and he was doubly glad he wasn't a Toad.

----------

"First things first," Natsu said as they headed toward his house. "A shirt." He was relieved that they had made it away from the Hokage's Tower with all their limbs attached. He had hoped for it to go well, but he should have known better. Sunny seemed to rub many people the wrong way effortlessly, and no one seemed truly happy that the blond was alive. A small smile graced his face- at least he knew of one person besides him that would be happy to see the blond. His mother.

"Natsu, you sound funny," Sunny voice interrupted his thoughts and he looked over at him, seeing his concerned face.

"Ah, got some permanent damage from the fire, that and most likely puberty."

"What's puberty?"

Natsu scratched his head uncomfortably. "Uh, you know, when you're hormones change and stuff, and your voice gets deeper, and you get taller. See," he pointed out, "_You're_ voice is already deeper, _and_ you've grown an inch or two since I last saw you."

Sunny sent him a thoughtful look. "I not noticed."

Natsu nodded as they approached his house. "You usually don't. Other people tend to point it out," he said as he opened the door and ushered the blond in. "Hey Mom! Look who's here."

Her head popped out of the kitchen, her dark eyes going wide the moment they landed on Sunny.

"Sunny!" she shrieked, charging into the room and wrapping her arms around the blond. "How?! We thought you were dead!" She rained kisses all over the boy's face, and Natsu held back a laugh at the look of horror on his face. He weaseled his way out of her grip and wiped his face, sending her alarmed looks.

"Calm down mom," Natsu admonished before Sunny could say something damning. "Sunny's apparently tougher than he appears." At that, Yoko's eyes narrowed as they ran over Sunny's body.

"Gods, you're so thin! You must have been sick this whole time," she pulled the blond into the kitchen, and began to dig around in the cupboards. "I'll get you something to eat, put some meat on those bones..."

While his mother's back was turned, Natsu gestured for Sunny to follow him, and they both headed into his room. Immediately he dug around for a clean shirt that he wasn't going to wear and found a gray one, which he handed over to the blond, watching as Sunny put it on gratefully. "I should probably get you a new pair of pants too," he muttered, his eyes falling on the dark stains that graced areas of the pants. As he dug for something in Sunny's size, he addressed the thing that plagued him the most.

"So," he started, with his back turned. "You're the Nine Tailed Fox demon, huh?" When there was no immediate reply, he glanced over his shoulder to see that Sunny was rubbing the fabric of his shirt, head bowed, but two blue eyes were watching him, rather intently. He saw the blond's mouth turn up in a cold smile.

"Yes," he replied, and his voice was even deeper than before, heavy with something dark.

Natsu blinked, and purposely turned his back on him, digging around for pants. How had this happened- he becoming friends with the Kyuubi? It was almost inconceivable! The Kyuubi was a giant bloodthirsty fox that had ravaged Konoha several times before it was taken down by the legendary Fourth Hokage. It didn't wander into Konoha in the shape of a blond kid, smelling like peppermint and kissing him to express his mutual like for him. It didn't seem like it would work that way. Not to mention he had been under the impression that Yondaime had killed him

"Natsu smells of fear," Sunny's words cut into his thoughts like a knife, and he turned with a pair of black pants, smiling.

"Do I?" hoping his tone brushed off Sunny's words, and his own scent, now acutely aware that Sunny could smell these things quite well. He handed the pants to the blond demon, and watched in curiosity at the look of disappointment on his face.

"No color?" The blond asked hopefully. "Pupel?"

Natsu gave a sigh, "Sunny, you can't wear purple. Purple is a really hard color to wear, and guys don't normally wear purple okay?"

Sunny nodded, fingering the pants, then looked up at him hopefully. "Onge?"

Orange? Who in their right mind would wear orange?! That color, if not worn with the utmost care, was socially damaging. He knew, because once at the Academy he had worn the orange shirt he had given to Sunny months ago, and all the other kids had laughed at him, calling him stupid. After all, what kind of self-respecting ninja wore orange- a very 'look at me' color?

"I don't have any orange colored clothing," Natsu said, and seeing the saddened look on his face, conceded, "but I'm sure my mom will be glad to get you some later."

Sadness disappeared, quickly followed by a blinding smile. At this, his mother came in, a small plate with a sandwich, face flushed in pleasure.

"Now you eat this all up, honey," she ordered, handing the plate to Sunny and giving him another hug, wiping away a stray tear as she left the room and shut the door. Sunny sniffed at the sandwich, ham, with tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese, and his face turned up in dislike. Natsu took the plate from him and set it aside on his dresser.

'You don't like ham, Sunny?" he asked as the blond took off the brown pants and pulled on the black ones.

"What 'ham?'"

"You know, ham...pig."

Sunny looked up at him with a smile. "I like pig- very juicy."

"Ah..." Natsu was sure the juicy part was because the pig was raw. "Well that's pig, and you should eat it or I'll never hear the end of it."

Sunny buttoned up the pants and blinked at the sandwich, then shook his head. "Already ate. Not hungry."

"Fine," Natsu gave yet another sigh, "I'll eat it. But let's go, I want to tell Sakura that you're okay." He took the sandwich and opened his window. Both boys crawled through and headed for the Konoha Hospital, where Sakura sometimes spent her time. Ever since he had been injured, Sakura had garnered interest in becoming a medic nin.

"I don't have much combat talent," she had said to him, "but I do have good chakra control, sufficient for the healing arts. Might as well make myself useful." Sakura had been pretty down since he had been injured, and Sasuke hadn't been helping with his cold, distant attitude he had taken ever since he had heard of his brother's appearance in Konoha.

Thinking of Uchiha Itachi gave Natsu the chills- he did not want to see that person again. And then he remembered who he had come for.

"Hey Sunny, you know anyone named Uchiha Itachi?"

"That's a good question," a very familiar voice agreed, and he turned to see Sasuke approaching them. Sasuke had also gotten taller, and apparently better looking, judging by the occasional squeals he had seen girls make. His dark eyes were trained on Sunny rather intently, and he remembered that Sasuke was under the impression that Sunny knew Itachi.

Beside Sasuke was Sakura, whose face was torn between complete surprise and the urge to smile- she had been upset at Sunny's supposed demise, not as upset as he had been, and maybe she had been upset to see him so miserable and guilt stricken. He didn't know which it was, but he was pleased to see that she was at least happy in some way.

Sasuke stopped in front of Sunny, whose face took on a slight sinister delight, blue eyes dancing in their sockets. He was actually bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Sasuke boy," he crooned, teeth gleaming.

"So you're alive," Sasuke stated, dark eyes darting to look at Natsu, then back at Sunny. "Guess that's a good thing," Natsu noticed that Sunny had stopped bouncing, becoming absolutely motionless, still grinning. But now there was an air of anticipation about him, like he was expecting Sasuke to do something. "What do you know about Itachi?"

Sunny's smile faltered. "Who?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously, and both Natsu and Sakura took a step forward. "Relax Sasuke," Natsu admonished. "I don't think he knows who your brother is an-"

"Shut up Kazuya," Sasuke snapped cutting him off, eyes not moving from Sunny's face. "Why is my brother interested in you? Who are you?"

"So it is true," another voice commented, and they turned to see Shikamaru and Chouji approach. He lifted a lazy hand in greeting. "Hey Sunny, long time no see."

The tension that had been building was washed away by Shikamaru's calm, accepting demeanor, which he no doubt knew, and Sunny waved a hand in a cheerful greeting.

"It's been going around that you've come back from the dead," Shikamaru stuffed his hands in his pockets, shoulders slumping. "Guess that means extra duty for me."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked. Shikamaru was the only one out of them all that had been promoted to chuunin, though Natsu had heard that he had been heavily considered, and would have been promoted if not for his extended hospital stay.

"They've been looking around for Gaara of the Sand," out of the corner of his eye he saw Sunny's blue eyes flash, and his cheerful face turn serious. "He's gone missing- nin for some time now. If he knows you're here Sunny, he'll likely show up. You guys were close?"

Sunny nodded thoughtfully. "He's my minion."

Shikamaru's eyebrows rose. "In what?"

Sunny looked over Shikamaru's head, strange blue eyes moving about the village, seeming to look at everything, and nothing at all. "Whatever I wish."

Shikamaru sent him a sidelong glance before nodding. "Well, I hope you're wishes are to the benefit of Konoha- I'd hate to have to fight you."

Sunny burst into laughter, the same laughter that he had graced the Hokage with, and grinned at the shadow-user. "You would taste good." Shikamaru's eyes deepened, as if he were remembering something.

"No he wouldn't," Natsu interjected quickly. "No one here would. We're all friends, right?" he gripped Sunny's arm for emphasis. "Right?"

Sunny looked down at his hand then looked at Natsu. "Right."

---------------

Dyadem moved through the forests of Fire Country, his mind tumbling over thoughts he had put aside for some time, thoughts that had resurfaced recently. He could admit, if asked, that he had been a tad bit obsessed with Kyuubi, it happens when one admires another as much as he did- does. He supposed, that in his obsession of searching for Kyuubi, he had missed other important details that could have been useful, like how may other Greater Demon had disappeared. Had they, like Shukaku and Kyuubi, been captured and locked inside a human's body?

This wondering had sent him off toward the border of Sunny's _territory_ to seek out L'Yrishka, the female water demon that had once told him of Kyuubi's demise. L'Yrishka was one of the few demons that had not fled when the humans had begun to wield their chakra against demonkind, instead slipping into the depths of the oceans, easily forgotten, since humans could never be lord of the oceans. And though she had been wrong about Kyuubi's fate, he was sure she may know something about the other Greater Demons that had passed through to this realm.

He paused suddenly, black eyes narrowing as he sensed Shukaku approach. From behind a copse of trees the jinchuuriki appeared, green eyes alert, face and cloths smeared with dirt, large gourd still strapped to his back. He stopped and stared at the blue wolf.

\You've come back,/ Dyadem commented. \Not much of a surprise./

The human stared at him, waiting- perhaps for permission to enter Fire Country. Then his face cracked, pain flashed through him, and he relaxed as his eyes bled black and yellow, and Shukaku surfaced, grinning.

"It gets easier every time," the sand demon chuckled. "I thank master Kyuubi for that- I used to struggle with this human every time, but now..." The tanuki continued to grin. Then, "Well possessor, what brings you all the way out here?"

Dyadem sat back on his haunches. \Information./ Shukaku waited. \I want to know if the other Greaters have been trapped as well. I'm seeking L'Yrishka./

"Ishka?" he could not say the name properly in human tongue. "Her? She is useless- spends too much time in the deep depths to know what happens above. She probably can't even find her way to the surface half the time." Shukaku's disdain of L'Yrishka was apparent.

\Oh, and I suppose you would know?/

A mound of sand shot up and settled beside the tanuki, and Shukaku sat down on it, sending him a smug look. "Actually yes, I would, but first, I would like to know how Kyuubi is."

Dyadem bared his teeth in a wolf's smile. \He is well, becoming more like his old self day by day./

They shared a mutual pleased look, and the tanuki picked at his fingernails, sending him a sly look.

"They got all nine of us...well, I _think_ all nine of us- I've not heard if Isonade sanbi has been taken. But the others have- I've heard of some of the things Nekomata nibi has done."

All nine? Who had such power to summon the Greater Demons like this?

"But listen to this," Shukaku leaned forward on the mound, eyes wild. "Apparently, some group of humans calling themselves Akatsuki have been about, collecting the jinchuuriki and extracting us from them."

\For what?/

Shukaku gave a wary shrug. "That, I do not know. Probably not to our purposes." he sent Dyadem a thoughtful look. "What do you think would happen if they captured Sunny? Could they turn him back into Kyuubi? Perhaps we should seek them out- find out what they know?"

\That's not a risk I'm willing to take, but this 'Akatsuki' bears further investigation./

Shukaku stood up from the mound. "What I _do_ know of them is that they are all reportedly S-class ninja, deserters of their villages. They can mean no good for us."

\Agreed,/ Dyadem stood up and was about to head back, when they noticed humans approaching. Immediately he flashed to his original form and floated up into the trees, Shukaku following him, dark brown dirt gathering about his body as he blended in with the bark.

"The fuck was that?" a human female voice assaulted the forest as the four humans came into view. Three of them were male, one large, two others of average human size.

"Language," the large one sighed, and the red-haired female gave him a snarl.

"Fuck you, fat ass. I'll curse as I please."

"What _are_ you cursing about?" a dark skinned male human inquired, looking about the area with dark, sharp eyes.

"I felt some weird ass chakra just a second ago," the female replied, green eyes scoping the area. Hiding behind a leaf, Dyadem recognized their scent; these four had held up that purple barrier when the Orochimaru human had been fighting Konoha's hokage. They must be his.

\Interesting,/ Dyadem murmured, and watched as the four humans scanned the area.

"Something _is_ here," the gray haired one agreed, sounding interested. "Why don't you come out, coward?"

Dyadem considered whether it was worth it, curious as to why these four had returned.

He flashed into his human form, not caring that he had not brought the clothing with him, and dropped down onto the forest floor, examining them as they stared back. The female spoke first.

"The hell are your clothes, man? I don't want to see your junk!"

The gray haired one snorted, but the dark skinned one's eyes narrowed.

"I remember you," he said, eyes wary.

The gray haired one pulled out a kunai. "Who is he Kidoumaru?"

"I remember seeing him outside our barrier, watching us."

"Konoha-nin then," the large one concluded, but his facial expression said that he was unsure.

"Who are you?" the gray one asked, and Dyadem sniffed the air, taking in their individual scents. They were curious, wary, but not frightened, and they smelled of the snake-human Orochimaru.

"Dyadem," he replied, and their brows moved together.

"I don't recognize your accent," the female said. "where are you from? What's your business here?"

"You're Orochimaru's pack, yes?"

"Let's kill the creepy bastard," the female exclaimed suddenly, pulling out a small wooden stick, a _flute, _and blew into it. Strange sounds permeated the air, thick, heavy, and Dyadem watched in cold silence as three demons slunk from the shadows of the forest, weak demons, no more powerful than Tsorn. "Do you like my Doki?" the stupid human female asked, jumping into the trees along with the other three humans. "They'll sure as hell like you," she laughed.

The demons paused when their eyes fell on Dyadem, whose thin gray lips curled in disdain.

\What's this?/ he hissed, stepping forward. \Serving humans?/

The three demons stepped back, stinking of fear.

\We do not truly serve her,/ the one in the middle assured, \we only-/

But Dyadem did not want to hear excuses. First the spirits, now Demonkin? They were practically chased from the Earth Realm, only to return as servants? He was on the demon before it had finished speaking, flashing into his light form and sinking into its chest. Inside, he crashed into its mind, crushing thought, seeing that the whole pack had signed contracts with this human female in exchange for devouring any of her opponents. He turned to its kin, one had already returned back to the spiritual plane, but the other had not been quick enough. With its brother he grabbed the other's arm and crushed it. The demon cried out and dug his claws into his stomach, carving out a gaping hole. Dyadem shut off the pain receptors and went for the other demon's throat, sinking his teeth into his flesh and chewing his way through. The demon screeched, clawing at his brother's back and shoulders even as he arrived at the neck bone and gnawed his way through. Above the screams he heard the discordant notes of the flute, and felt a tug on the body he possessed just as he chewed through the other side of the demon.

Quickly he exited the body he had possessed as it disappeared in a puff a smoke and turned toward the female.

_She's dead_, Dyadem thought angrily as he whipped down into the foliage, sinking into the Earth.

"The hell?" the female muttered, scanning the area and seeing no sign of him. "What the fuck was that guy?" She dropped down to the ground and moved toward the dead demon, head severed. The others carefully moved toward her.

"Did you hear his voice?" the large one asked, and the female snarled.

"I'm not deaf, fat ass."

While the female was distracted he moved up toward her foot and sank into her flesh. The female quickly lifted her foot in response to the cold sensation, but saw nothing.

From above, Shukaku watched as the group moved uneasily away from the body.

"Seemed to me like your Doki were afraid of him- never seen them hesitate like that."

"Let's go," the gray haired ninja commanded. "We got an appointment with an Uchiha."

They disappeared into the trees, though the girl paused to stare angrily at the body. "The fuck was he?" she muttered before following them towards Konoha.

Most of the dirt fell away from him as he moved from the tree, eyes thoughtful as he stared down at the dead demon. He forgot how deadly possessing demons were. The gourd popped open and he let sand dribble out and over to the body, watching as it ground up the flesh.

He remembered to be wary of Dyadem.

-----------

"SUNNY!!!"

He winced as Konohamaru's shriek assaulted his ears, and the small boy jumped on him, grinning madly. "I thought you were dead, man!"

Sunny scowled. Why did everyone think he was dead? The worst damage in his opinion, had been his arm being cut off, and he couldn't see how that could have killed him. His lungs had long healed before his arm decided it was properly fixed.

"Hey Konoha," he greeted, patting the human's hair affectionately. The small human scowled.

"It's _Konohamaru_!" Then he was grinning again. "Guess what? I'm a genin now!"

Beside him, Natsu made a sound of surprise. "You passed your exam? Why didn't you tell me, I could have taken you out to celebrate." Konohamaru's grin faltered.

"Yeah, but you were still in the hospital..."

Sunny saw Natsu's consternation increase, and his face darkened slightly. "Oh yeah...sorry about that...So, whose your sensei?"

"Ebisu-sensei," Konohamaru replied happily again. "Moegi and Udon on my team, of course-" he suddenly paused, looking up at Sunny uncertainly. "Which reminds me, who's going to be your sensei now that Ebisu-sensei has three of us?"

Sunny frowned. That was a good question. He didn't want it to be Jiraiya- he didn't like Jiraiya, and Kakashi-leader had Natsu, Sakura, and Sasuke-boy...He didn't know anyone else. He needed someone powerful though, like that Orochimaru. He thought on what Dyadem wanted, to go see this Orochimaru, to devour his brain, and suddenly, it didn't seem that bad of an idea. Maybe he _should _seek him out- it would not be hard to find him; there was that human Kabuto, or even better, Sasuke-boy. Sasuke boy had faintly smelled of snakes lately- actually, ever since the prelims.

Perhaps the two should talk.

-------

Natsu's mother insisted that he stay the night, and kept pushing human food at him, which was getting on his nerves- he did not like bread, or potatoes, or noodles, of any of his meat cooked. Whenever he tried to tell her this, Natsu would quickly cut him off with quick words and nervous eyes, until it was clear that he didn't want Sunny saying anything about his preferences. Natsu's father seemed too shocked to see him to say much.

He learned to play cards until Natsu was too tired to continue, and then he sat for an hour watching the human sleep. Finally, when the others in the dwelling had fallen asleep, he climbed through the window and headed out into the village.

\Gaara's here,/ Tsorn's message drifted through the silence, and he paused, smiling. So Gaara _had_ come. For another hour he wandered Konoha, looking to pick up Sasuke's scent, until it drifted toward him. He followed it to the training grounds, where he spied the human practicing the same fire jutsu he had used against him back when they had met. He wandered over, and immediately the dark-eyed boy spotted him.

"Sasuke boy," he hailed, and the human glared.

"Stop calling me that," he moved away from the wooden post he had set fire to and waited for him to approach.

He stood near the other and smiled. "How come you not attack me yet?"

"What?" Sasuke boy looked a little surprised.

"The Game." Sasuke just stared at him, the light from the flames causing shadows to drift about the hollows of his face. "You know, you burn me, I drown you, then you..." he gave a suggestive wave of his hand to mimic payback.

Sasuke boy stared at him another span before he could see realization dawn in his eyes.

"You think that was a _game_?"

Sunny nodded and smiled- then hesitated as he saw incredulity in the others eyes. "I've been waiting for next move for months."

Sasuke sent him a sidelong glance. "You're crazy," he said and turned away from him and began to walk away. Sunny was at a loss- all this time Sasuke-boy had been planning nothing?! Well, that just put him a downright nasty mood!

He kicked a rock, and it hit the back of Sasuke boy's calf. The boy paused and glared back at him. Sunny grinned.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked suddenly, and his grin faltered. Not the response he had been hoping for. "Why did you _really_ come to Konoha?"

"Revenge," was his simple reply, and he saw interest flash through the boy's eyes. He looked like he wanted to ask why, and on whom, but pride kept him silent and staring.

Sunny gave a little trill, turning his head and baring his teeth in a grin. "They kill my family, so I kill them, soon...evently..." Sasuke stare at him, dark eyes full with something, understanding, Sunny thought. "You have family, Sasuke boy?" he asked, and there- yes, a minute flinch, no human would have been able to see it with all the conflicting shadows, but he saw it well. "No? Someone take them away?"

Sasuke's face became hard, stricken, but still he said nothing.

"I look for snake human, Orochimaru. You know him, yes? You bring me to him."

"I don't know him," Sasuke boy snapped, but Sunny could tell he wanted to. "And what of you? How do you know Itachi?"

There was hate in the way he said that name. Sunny shrugged. "I not know this Itachi. And why should I?"

Sasuke boy scowled, looked at him then turned and walked away, only glancing back once to see him watching.

Good. Now, if it came to some point that Sasuke boy were to meet up with Orochimaru, he would mention Sunny. He heard someone approaching from behind, a brief scent, Kakashi-leader, and he turned to the human with a wary smile. The human was in his ninja attire, eyes alert and watchful, spying the retreating back of Sasuke.

"Shouldn't you be asleep at Natsu's?" he asked, and Sunny shrugged.

"I don't sleep."

The man stared at him, and he back, patiently waiting for the words that sat just behind that mask.

"You know, I don't think you have an iota of loyalty towards Konoha, and I can't imagine what truly keeps you here. Is it your friendship with Natsu? Konohamaru?"

Sunny hadn't a clue what _iota _meant, but he imagine it to be the bad word in the sentence.

He chose his words carefully in his head before he spoke them. "I have loyalty to the land, because all of Fire Country is mine, and has been for a very long time, and no one will take it from me. Not Demon, nor human. I' am master here, and always will be."

Kakashi leader sighed. "I suppose that's the best we'll get out of you."

"Yes," Sunny agreed, before he hopped away towards the forest, ready to greet his red-haired friend. The day had been full of greetings.

---------

Inside the human female Tayuya, Dyadem settled in the pit of her chest, waiting. He didn't invade her mind, which was in him to do, mostly because it would alert her of his presence, which he was wont to do until he felt the time was right. Occasionally she would rub her chest, a strange cold spot that she gave less than half a mind to worry about, having other- more important thoughts.

So he waited.

**TBC**

**Things I should address. Clearly, the lore of the demons are different from canon, such as where they came from and such.**

**Medical issues have prevented me from typing, I'm afraid, but still I'am determined to write, no matter how many months it takes. Thank you all for your patience **


	25. Unexpected Happenings

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion

_**Warnings: Graphic violence, gore, cannibalism, and language...along with canon character deaths**_

_**Dancing with Demons**_

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

_**Unexpected Happenings**_

Shikamaru liked Kazuya Natsu- not a big surprise, most people did. It was hard to come up with bad things to say about the genin, he had been quite popular at the Academy, getting along with everyone, tending to drift from group to group whenever he pleased. He had hung out with him and Chouji often enough that he counted the genin as a good friend. He was honest, hardworking, incredibly friendly, dependable, good to have at ones' back...

So it was with great reluctance that he approached the dirty blond's door; he hated to be the bearer of bad news, and this was very bad news indeed, enough to make him sweat as he knocked on the door of the Kazuya residence. He wiped his forehead as he heard someone approach, straightening from his slouch as Kazuya's mother greeted him at the door.

"You're Shikamaru, right?" she inquired with a welcoming smile, gesturing for him to enter, but he shook his head politely.

"Sorry, but this is urgent."

Her face stiffened, eyes running warily over his chuunin's uniform, face paling. He stopped a groan from escaping his throat- he remembered how she viewed shinobi from his visits to Natsu's bedside at the hospital several months ago. Not fun.

Natsu came into view, a happy smile on his face, no doubt due to Sunny's miraculous resurrection. "Hey Shikamaru. What's up?" he asked as he shooed his mother away from the door. She did so reluctantly. He waited until she was out of ear-shot before speaking.

"Sasuke's gone missing-nin on us," he watched as the smile faded from Natsu's face, replaced by confusion and disbelief.

"What?" he stepped forward, shutting the door behind him. "What do you mean 'he's gone missing-nin?' what...what happened?"

Shikamaru sighed, relaying the information Tsunade-sama had given him, watching the color drain from Kazuya's face all the while. Inside he cringed, Natsu was beginning to resemble the way he had looked in the hospital- eyes wide- staring at him in shock while a wheeze came from his chest.

"I'm gathering a Team together to retrieve him, and I need you to come along- you're good with the Kage Bunshin. Are you in?"

Natsu blinked rapidly at him, as if justing hearing his words. "What? Oh- yes, yes, I'll come. Let me get my stuff." He sounded dazed, and Shikamaru felt sorry for him. He opened the door, slipping inside to his mother's anxious inquiries. Shikamaru turned from the door, calculating who else to bring. Chouji definitely, and most likely Shino or Kiba. He didn't feel ready for this responsibility- didn't like being in charge. He sighed grimly

Being a ninja was so troublesome.

----------------------

Sunny bent his back over a branch, bending his spine as he munched lazily on peppermint, viewing the world up-side-down. Gaara was in his view, dirty, sitting in a nearby branch, face empty- but he could feel the air of contentment about him. Gaara had left Suna not three days after he had arrived, deciding that he no longer belonged there, He had wanted to be around his own kind, and had headed back toward Fire Country. The going had not been so easy though, and he had spent many months hiding from Hunter-nin pursuit. He had only recently arrived in Konoha territory, claiming, in the few words that he bothered to speak, that he had come across Dyadem, who was still mysteriously absent.

\Where did he go?/ Sunny had asked the night before.

"Into one of the Sound Four," at his puzzled look, Gaara elaborated. "Orochimaru's ilk."

Sunny had smiled. \I'm going to find that human- there is much I wish to know./

Gaara had looked surprised. "Orochimaru? He cannot be trusted. He killed my father and posed as him during the Exams."

\Ah, so that is who he was pretending to be. But I do not want his trust- only what he knows. He knows enough to kill Konoha's Hokage...Imagine what I can accomplish with that kind of power./

Gaara's face remained empty as Tsorn spoke up-he had been wrapped around a tree, munching away at a stash of squirrels. \I didn't know we were going there. Didn't you just have a disagreement with Dyadem over this?/

Sunny had just warbled at him in amusement, leaving Tsorn to mutter about a fickle mind.

The night had passed uneventfully, with him telling about his _healing rest, _then grossing Gaara out by eating spiders, snails, and butterflies. Cockroaches seemed to absolutely horrify him, though he only showed this by averting his eyes and the tightening of his lips. Gaara seemed to have an aversion to making facial expressions.

Sunny righted himself and dusted his pants of leaves and bark. He had to return to the village to retrieve human food for the red-head, since his body was human and he didn't seem to want to eat tasty bugs. The jinchuuriki did try to consume some of the squirrels, but most of that was draining the blood from it and picking fur from his mouth in disgust. A squirrel was something that should be eaten whole- due to very little meat, and only Tsorn had a mouth big enough for that. Sunny couldn't help but be disappointed with this- it seemed to reinforce the reality that Gaara himself was not demonkin, but a human with a demon trapped within him.

\I'll be back,/ he told them as he dropped from the trees and landed lightly on the earth. He headed for the village, warbling in his throat as he hopped the village wall and dropped into the human domain. They were oblivious to his presence, as usual, something he delighted in, though some of the females giggled at his hair and smiled, which pleased him. The more attractive he was, the easier it would be to lure them away- females always had the most exquisite meat.

He headed in the direction of Natsu's dwelling, sure it would be easy to acquire food from him since his mother kept pushing it at him. It was on his way that he scented the human female Sakura, smelling as tasty as usual... except for an added flare that made him pause and turn his sniffing nose in her direction.

Despair.

Turning in that direction, his bright blue eyes darted about the humans until they fell upon the pink haired female, hunched on a bench, face swollen red. Sunny approached, stopping before her and smiling.

"What's the matter? Someone hurt you?" He had promised himself earlier to use better human tongue- it had been digressing badly over the past few months.

She looked up at him with swollen red eyes and brushed hair from her face. "Sunny...it's you..." her eyes lowered back to the ground, and he bent over at the waist and tilted his head so he could see her expression. She looked at him. "Sasuke left."

He blinked. Left? Left where? She leaned away from him and sighed, more tears coming to her eyes.

"He's gone to join Orochimaru in Otogakure, and Natsu's gone after him with Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, and Hyuuga Neji." She wiped her eyes roughly. "I tried to stop Sasuke from going, but I'm too weak, always was..." more tears came. "Natsu promised to bring him back, but I'm scared he'll get hurt too..."

Sunny gazed over her head in silent thought. He hadn't expected this to happen so soon. His eyes darted about. Where the hell was Dyadem when he really needed him?

"When this...When _did_ this happen?" he demanded, and saw her jump at the sudden heaviness of his voice, but he couldn't spare the time to care.

"Sasuke left last night, Natsu left this morning."

Sunny bared his teeth, hissing in agitation. The sun was halfway in the sky already- what was that called? Afternoon? "Which way?" he asked, glaring down at her wide eyes, smelling her fear.

"They w-went through the north gates- that's the direction to Hidden Sound."

Sunny shook his head, not unlike a bird settling its feathers, and rushed away, heading for the north walls. He hopped up the side of a dwelling and created a kage bunshin, and watched it leap back toward Gaara and Tsorn, with instructions to follow him. They parted ways, the clone going west while he continued north, in minutes passing through most of the village. Far from the actual gate, he was left unhindered as he scaled the wall and leaped into the surrounding trees. He stopped immediately though, so he could stare about in awe. He had thought the trees in the western area were big, but the northern ones were so massive, that he could stretch out on a single branch without any of his limbs dangling over the sides. Amazing- some of the leaves were even bigger than his head!

After marveling over size differences, he dropped down to the forest floor and began to sniff about, searching for familiar scents beyond the decay of leaves and the passage of animals. He got down on all fours and pressed his nose to the dirt, sniffing deeply, then shaking his head when particles went up into his nose. It was when he was wiping his face that he caught the sent of smoke and burning wood, drifting north-west from him. He leaped back into the trees and headed in that direction, running through the trees, since the branches were so thick, all the while the scent of burning things growing, until the air became a bit hazy with it.

His foot hit something, something thin, and before he could stop and inspect it, he heard a hissing sound- then there was a flash, an explosion, and he was engulfed in fire. He screamed in pain, crashing down to the earth, smelling his burnt flesh, unable to open his eyes. He lay where he was, hearing branches fall about him, groaning in the pain that ran from head to toe. He must have tripped a trap.

The pain dropped a level, telling him that he was beginning to heal from the burns, and he felt his eyelids soften, then open. He blinked blearily at his surroundings, burnt trees, then looked at his arm, a burnt appendage that was still smoking, the meat inside of it cooked. _Aw crap_, he thought nervously. This was some serious damage, _h__ealing rest _kind of damage, and he forced his cooked body to sit up. There was a chunk of his thigh missing, and he could tell all of his hair had been burned off. Maybe if he moved, his body wouldn't drop into the _healing rest! _

Sunny struggled to his burnt feet, pain roaring through him, his eyes watering as he staggered away from the blaze. Several feet away he spotted a small pond, and he stopped to take a peek at his face, immediately turning away from it with a cringe. Most of the right half of his face was seared away, showing bone from his jaw line to the top of his naked skull, exposing his mandibles. Indeed his hair was all gone, remaining flesh a cooked red and black- actually, the only thing that had fully healed so far was his eyes. He was one big red and black naked burnt thing. There was only one thing he could do then.

Eat.

Moving more quickly, he paused to snatch up a badger, and ate it on the move, feeling its meat and blood burn away into energy the moment it hit his stomach. The burnt flesh on his back eased up a bit. More. If it moved, it went down his throat- rodents, insects- any animal foolish enough to have stuck around. He ate many reptiles- because they were attracted to the heat coming from the fires, and suffered a bite from a poisonous snake; he had eaten it, and its venom only gave him momentary nausea, not enough to stop him from moving.

He touched the right side of his face and felt smooth skin where there had been bone- saw that his arm had repaired itself to only angry blisters. His thigh though, still had muscle showing, and he still hurt in most places. But he had avoided the _healing rest_, thankfully.

He paused as the terrain changed, a battle had been fought here, according to the broken earth, the torn and uprooted trees, and the lingering scent of blood. Sunny followed the scent, immediately recognizing one of them,- the overweight human. He moved quickly toward him, making small pained noises as still burnt skin split with his movement, and came upon the area where the occupants remained. The overweight human was leaning against a tree, breathing hard- and not looking as overweight as he remembered, bloody and dirty. A gurgle turned his attention to the other human, much larger than the other, who seemed to be in the process of using up his last breath. He smelled of snakes- obviously belonging to Orochimaru.

Food.

Sunny staggered over to him, punched a fist through his chest and pulled out his still beating heart. He consumed it quickly, then began to tear the human apart, eating all of his muscular areas- though he was mostly fat, and slurping down his liver. When he was finished he inspected his body, which was fully repaired except for a light redness to it. He touched his scalp, feeling the tingle of his hair regrowing.

\Much better,/ he mumbled- though he was still hungry, then turned his attention to the other human, who was slumped against the tree, glazed eyes fixed on him. He rushed to him, sniffing him over in vague interest before asking him for his black pants- he _was_ naked after all.

The human looked confused for a second, before asking, "Are... you going after Shikamaru and the rest?"

Sunny grinned toothily at him and nodded. The human's hand weakly fumbled with his pants, until Sunny became impatient and lifted him up, pulling the pants off and quickly putting them on. They were too big, and didn't come down to his ankles, but below his knees. He folded them about his waist until they held onto him, then turned to go, but was stopped by the human's weak voice.

"There were...four of them. They have Sasuke in a coffin...they're tough..."

He looked back at the human, watched him slip into unconsciousness, and couldn't help but to admire their loyalty, especially with Sasuke-boy being such a disagreeable human. He hopped into the trees again, fully healed, and headed after them. In no time he came upon a area that seemed thick with- spiderwebs? He touched one of the thick webs, and found that his hand was stuck to it. He pulled at his hand, digging his feet into the tree branch, but the web would not let go. His tail whipped out and smacked itself against the web, and he watched as it burned away, releasing his hand. He stepped around the webs, making sure that none of his body parts touched- pulling his tail back in.

Again he smelled blood and came upon two more humans, though curiously enough, one of them had six arms! Sunny dropped to the dark skinned ones' side, peering at his arms, sniffing him over, scenting the musk of snakes, but also the flavor of human. Did human's usually come with six arms? \I guess they do,/ he muttered to himself, then turned his attention to the other human, whose scent he recognized. The one with the pale eyes- the one he promised he would hurt for Natsu. He turned the human over, spying the holes in his shoulder and side, scowled, knowing that this one was a good as dead anyway. There was no point of making him suffer if he wasn't going to live to regret it.

He left him there, continuing on, hunting for Sasuke and the others, when he paused at a deep trench in the earth. He was about to jump over it when faint sounds of battle came from deep within. Were they down there? He peered down into its depths, eyes only able to make vague shapes of what may be rocks. He sniffed the air, scenting water, sediment...himself. He blinked and sniffed the air again. There was no denying it, it smelled like his cave did- there must must be an entrance down there somewhere.

Sighing, Sunny jumped over the edge and dropped down into the trench, seeming to descend forever, before he landed next to a small river, the impact rushing up his legs and spine. He shuddered, adjusting his body and immediately heard the harsh breaths of a human. Crouching behind the large boulders that dotted along the river, he approached the human, immediately recognizing him, the dog human, soaked with water, blood, sweat, and dog fur. He was hiding behind a boulder as well, cradling his little dog, and didn't seem to notice that another human with grey hair was on the other side.

"Man, that was a close one," the dog human said to his small canine, which he held in his arms protectively.

"Really?" the gray haired human asked with a leer, startling the dog human, who instantly began to smell of more fear. The gray haired one chuckled. "Guess you didn't smell me because I've been wearing your jacket eh?"

"Yeah," dog human replied wryly. "No wonder I couldn't smell anything."

The grey one moved over to him, pulling out a kunai. "And now you're going to die!"

Sunny leaped out as the gray one plunged his blade, his foot catching him in the wrist and knocking the blade away. The gray one leaped away, hold his wrist, surprised eyes staring at him.

"You!" the dog human exclaimed, looking shocked.

"Who the hell are you?" the gray one asked, glaring at him.

Sunny sniffed the air, sorting dog-human's scent from the other, and catching snakes again. All must belong to Orochimaru.

"Watch out!" Dog-human called from behind, and he turned to see something brown drop down upon him. For a second he thought it was Tsorn, but it was half his size and full of hard spiky skin. He blocked a hit to the face, feeling the strength in the blow, and feeling the creature's other hand grab onto his upper arm. "Watch out- They can enter your body and merge with it."

Indeed he felt something strange happening his skin under the spiked hand, but the creature released him immediately with a grunt, jumping back and shaking his hand.

"What's the matter Sakon?" The gray one asked, and the creature glared at Sunny.

"I don't know. I couldn't merge with him- he's different- down to the cellular level. He's not human!"

Sunny clucked in curiosity having no idea what _cellular_ meant, and wanting to know if this thing was human, demon, or spirit- it didn't smell like demonkin, so it was either a human or a spirit. He charged the creature, dodged its swipe and kicked it in the head roughly, watching it skid to the ground. Both were low on chakra, that he knew, he could feel it, and as he charged the creature, saw that its flesh was lightening up, the horns on its head receded until it looked exactly like the gray haired one.

Then things got confusing. Now there were two gray ones, and while Sunny took a second to try to puzzle it out, one leaped upon the other and they seemed to fuse together.

"Sorry Ukon- I just need to rest a little," the one fused to the other's back grumbled. The one he spoke to changed back into the beast, glaring at him. Sunny sent his chakra hands through the earth and tried to grab the creature, but he jumped away and began to retreat, cursing as Sunny followed him. When they out of ear shot, Sunny called out to the two headed creature.

"Wait! I want to talk to you." Immediately the creature paused in its flight and turned to survey him warily.

"Who the fuck are you?" He panted.

"I'm Sunny. I talk to...I _want _to talk to you. I want to join snake-human-er Orochimaru." Getting proper human language together was proving to be a hassle again.

The creature narrowed it's black eyes at him, then widened in surprise. "You're the fox demon," Sunny nodded and watched as the defensive posture eased up a bit. "Orochimaru-sama mentioned you. He said that if you approached to escort you as well, but not to seek you out." It straightened, and reverted back to the human form, though he had never seen a human with two heads. He peered at the creature- at the legs poking out of the back.

"How you- how do you do that?" he pointed the identical human attached to him. "Are you from spirit realm?"

"This is mine and my brother's ability," he jerked his head back the way they came. "Just let me kill that Konoha trash and we can catch up to Tayuya. We'll take you to Orochimaru-sama."

Sunny turned his head and blinked back in the direction of the dog-human, then turned back to the approaching creature with a grin. "Fine," he said as he followed behind it, staring at the drooping head in fascination. It smelled human. It _was_ human. A two-headed human, able to talk to one another, able to split apart... And he had thought that humans only came with one head- two arms, and two legs!

The dog-human came into view, and it seemed that he was dead, apparently succumbing to his wounds- or so the two-headed human seemed to think. He kicked dog-human's body onto the edge of the river and began to curse profusely.

"Son of a bitch- piece of trash! Wasted my time," he looked up at the cliffs and sighed. "We wasted enough time as it is," he looked back at him. "if we hurry, we'll catch up to her."

With that, he began to climb/leap up the cliff. A slight gurgling caught Sunny's attention, and he glanced back to see the dog human choke slightly on the water. Sunny bared his teeth in amusement and leaped after the gray ones, seeing him disappear over the edge, only for a sharp cry to come forth quickly followed by the hot scent of blood.

Sunny quickened his pace and jumped over the side in time to see Tsorn swallowing one of the heads, the body torn almost in half, from the left shoulder to mid torso.

\Tsorn you _idiot_!/ Sunny howled, and grabbed the body, yanking it from his jaws, and was startled to see that one of the heads was still moving, blood mouth opening and shutting, face twisted in pain and shock. \Why did you do this to him?/ He snapped, as the body slumped to the ground, its blood pouring into the dirt. \I needed him alive!/

"We thought you were chasing him," Gaara replied, coming into view from behind Tsorn, his arms folded across his chest in the usual manner. Sunny threw his hands up in exasperation and growled.

\I was following him!/

\Sorry,/ Tsorn said as he crunched away at the human. The other- undamaged head stopped moving, blood trickling from its mouth. Sunny peered at him.

\Does it taste good? Is it human?/

Tsorn nodded, tearing an arm off and handing it to him. \It's got an interesting tang to it./

Indeed it did.

Sunny stripped the arm of meat, then tossed it away, focusing at the task at hand. \We have to find this Tayaya creature. It apparently has Sasuke-boy, and is heading for snake-human./

He leaped into the trees, sniffing about as he moved and the others followed- Tsorn wasn't finished with the two headed one and carried it along as they went. Soon enough, they heard the sound of fighting and Sunny increased his speed, excitement rushing through him.

------

Shikamaru's breath was short, forcing itself through his lungs raggedly as he poured his chakra into the Shadow Neck Cantry, watching a shadowy hand slide up to her throat, but pausing, weakly, struggling to get there. The horns in Tayuya's head were close enough that they could almost poke him, but that was the least of his worries. If he let go, if he faltered at any moment, he knew that he was dead. He believed that Kiba, Neji and Chouji were alive, and he had sent Natsu on after Sasuke, but knew deep down that this mission had been a failure. The Sound Four had been too tough for them, but they couldn't back down- they'd had to try to save Sasuke.

Tayuya chuckled, her black and yellow eyes gleaming at him, her kunai pointed toward his abdomen- the only thing keeping it from plunging into his flesh was his shadow, gripping her fist and holding it back inches from him. "I must admit," she hissed with her strangely warped voice, "For a piece of shit, you're pretty good."

_And stupidly kindhearted_, Shikamaru thought miserably. He had been initially reluctant to hit a woman- it just wasn't his style. But...with his free hand he tried to punch her in the stomach, but her hand shot up and caught it. She grinned. _Dammit_! Shikamaru felt desperation run through him as he pushed more of his waning chakra into his jutsu, felt it creep up her chest and grip her throat. She gave a small gurgle, then began to exude more chakra, the horns poking out of her skull growing longer.

His chakra was waning, the shadow hand sliding from her throat as he tried to think up a strategy, knowing that the moment the jutsu released, he would be dead.

"Just a little bit more," she coached, yellow eyes dancing.

Suddenly the shadow hand that had been stopping her kunai from sinking into his flesh released. Shikamaru jerked back as she moved to cut into him, his heart practically in his throat- but suddenly, she froze, then jumped away from him, landing on a branch a few feet away.

Shikamaru dropped to one knee, sweat trickling down his face, not having enough chakra left to make a retreat, blinking at her. She had a frown on her brown face.

"The fuck..?" She muttered, sounding confused, bringing a clawed hand to her chest. "_What the hell did you do, you little shithead?!_!" She was glaring at him, rubbing her chest.

"What are you talking about?" Shikamaru replied, warily.

Before the girl could reply, she made a choking sound, and her body twitched, a spasm running through her. Her eyes widened in terror. "What's happening?" she gasped.

A flash of yellow came at the corner of his eyes, and he looked to see Sunny stop on a branch, red eyes focused on Tayuya, a grin on his face. But he looked different...Shikamaru saw that he was wearing no jewelry, no feathers in his hair, he was shirtless, and wearing- Chouji's pants! Shikamaru paled. They were clearly too big for him, and had been rolled up at the waist, but he knew that they were his best friends' pants.

Tayuya gave off a pained scream, and he looked away from Sunny in time to see an arm shoot out of her chest, covered in her blood and pieces of her flesh. She staggered back against the trunk of the tree as her body changed back into its human form. Her eyes were wide in terror, and she seemed about to pull the arm from her, but another painful spasm hit her as a blue light flashed through her body, bright enough to illuminate her bones, and a shoulder and head burst from her chest.

A man slipped from from her body- a man much taller than she, covered in her blood, using arms to pull himself from her body. She fell upon the branch as his feet left her, and he stood up, naked except for her blood, and looked down at her. Shikamaru couldn't see his eyes, they were too dark, but he recognized the presence that the man exuded- the same feeling he had gotten when Sunny had been with his tall blue haired friend. Someone was laughing. Sunny moved to the bloody man's side, seeming in the process of laughing himself to tears. Between laughs, sounds came out, the same sounds he had heard him say to Gaara back with Lee. He leaned toward Tayuya's body and licked the blood and meat from her chest.

Shikamaru quickly averted his eyes, feeling like he was about to be sick. This wasn't the first time he had seen Sunny eat someone, but that didn't make it any less horrible. He could hear the crunch of breaking bones, the smacking of eating, and the frightening sounds of demons conversing. Someone approached, he jerked his head around, expecting them to attack, but it was Gaara, his mouth smeared with blood, something thick and red in one hand. His face was cracked, his eyes slightly wild, and Shikamaru knew he didn't have any juice to put up a fight. Gaara stopped his approach and brought the meaty flesh to his mouth and began to chew on it, his green eyes gazing past him.

He saw beyond the missing-nin, that another creature had joined Sunny and the blue haired demon, a tall creature, cresting at about seven to eight feet, brown with a slightly curved spine, as if it hadn't completely evolved from walking on all fours. Its body was lean and sinewy with muscles, its face coming out into a bit of a muzzle filled with sharp canines. Tucked under one of its long arms were pieces of a body, and as it shifted, the body flopped and revealed a damaged head with a shock of bloody gray hair.

One of the Sound nins! Hope rushed through him as the demons moved away from Tayuya, only to reveal nothing more than bloodstains and torn cloth. The girl was gone. Sunny moved toward him, face, chest, and arms smeared with blood, a grin on his face.

Shikamaru spoke first. "Where's Chouji?" he demanded. If the blond had killed him, he would fight him, even though he knew that it would be the end of him. Sunny paused, giving him a puzzled look, strange sounds coming from his chest. "You're wearing his pants," Shikamaru pointed at them with his good finger, the other being broken to get out of Tayuya's genjutsu.

Sunny blinked down at the pants he was wearing, then seemed to understand. "He is back with the big one," his voice came out as a heavy baritone, and at the same time, a light one, so that it seemed as if he was multi-toned.

"Is he dead?" Shikamaru asked tersely as the bloody blue- one flashed and became a small ball of light and began to float in a circle around Sunny's head, casting shadows here and there on the blond's face. Sunny grinned at him with bloody teeth and shook his head rapidly.

"No. I burrowed...is it burrowed? I burrowed this from him. He said that there were four of them. Where can I find Tayaya...Taya?" he seemed to confuse himself with trying to remember her name.

Shikamaru leaned against the tree trunk, feeling weariness and relief running through him. Chouji was alive- and if he had let Sunny borrow his pants, must mean that he had won the fight with Jirobou. Thank God.

"Tayuya," he answered, seeing that behind them the brown demon was in the process of shoving the head of the Sound-nin down its throat. Shikamaru averted his eyes. "And you just ate her."

The amusement dropped from Sunny's face immediately. "_What?_!" It would have been funny if not for the circumstances in which she had gone- though he knew that he owed them his life. "_Dammit!" _Sunny whined, throwing his hands up in the air in what seemed like defeat.

Shikamaru pressed on. "What about Kiba and Neji?"

The blond did not reply, instead stomping away from him and scowling, the blue light keeping pace with him, still turning in circles above his head.

"We'll still be able to find Sasuke," Gaara said suddenly, startling him. The red head was too quiet. "Just follow that one Leaf's scent."

Sunny turned to him with a grin. "Natsu." He immediately began to sniff about, apparently finding Kazuya's scent quickly. With that, it seemed the group decided to leave, moving past Shikamaru, but he found the energy to grab Sunny's arm, halting him. The blond turned red eyes to him, blue light making them look purple as the blue ball kept circling his head.

"_What _about Neji and Kiba?" he persisted.

"Who they?"

"Kiba, with the dog. Neji has the pale eyes."

Recognition passed over his face, and he suddenly yanked his arm from the shadow users grasp without much effort, but he didn't leave, instead waving a hand dismissively. "Probably dead now," Shikamaru felt himself go pale. "Yes...most likely dead."

As he slumped down on the branch, feeling weak and cold, Sunny patted his head before leaping away, trilling as they all disappeared into the leaves.

-------------

Two figures paused on a branch, both dressed in long black cloaks with red clouds on them. One was smaller than the other, with long black hair pulled back in a pony tail, while the other was a taller man with broad shoulders. His face was a strange grayish-blue color, with odd markings curving under both beady pale eyes-resembling gills. His ears were covered with the straps of his hitai-ate, which consisted of two flowing lines parallel to one another, then what looked like a scratch cutting through them. His thin lips parted into a sharp grin, it seemed his teeth had been filed to sharp points.

"So which one am I going to take? Please let it be the Kyuubi- Samehada would love the taste of Demonic chakra." There was lust in his rough voice as he patted his clothed sword affectionately.

The smaller one lifted red eyes and looked in the direction he could feel the Kyuubi and Suna's missing-nin jinchuuriki approaching. There was another unknown chakra signature moving along with them, which was curious, because the spies had said that Kyuubi had only been in the company of the Sand Jinchuuriki. Had they picked up a new friend?

"Very well. I'll take Gaara, and you subdue the fox demon. Let's do this quickly, Kisame."

The two Akatsuki members leaped forward, heading toward the area in which they would cut the group off- it had favorable terrain for Kisame; there was a small swamp in the area.

As they moved through the trees, the smaller one slowed slightly, feeling the chakra signatures pause- then stop completely. "They sense us."

Kisame gave an excited laugh. "Well let's go introduce ourselves."

They cleared through several trees and came upon their targets standing in another tree, waiting for them. There were three of them, one blond child with a blue light hovering motionless two inches from his head, the jinchuuriki Gaara, and a rather large brown creature on a higher branch. Of the three, only Gaara was moving, the cap to his large gourd popping out as sand began to trickle down on the branch. His eyes were angry even if his face did not show it. The other two seemed not to be moving at all, seeming to have completely frozen- but not from fear. The blond fox demon was staring at them in puzzled wariness, red and orange eyes focused solely on them from where he crouched. The brown creature did not have facial expressions, but its yellow eyes were heavy upon them.

"Who you?" the Kyuubi asked in a deep multi-toned voice, surprising Kisame.

"Hoshigaki Kisame of Akatsuki." he reached back and pulled Samehada from his back, releasing the binds that held the cloth around it, revealing the strange sword. The Kyuubi moved its head slightly forward, eyes on the sword, nostrils flaring as he scented it. "And this is my partner, Uchiha Itachi."

Those red and orange eyes darted to him, and a blond brow furrowed. "'tachi? Name is familiar..." The demon peered at him a moment more before his head tilted back to look at the blue light above his head, then his eyes narrowed, and suddenly a blast of killing intent rushed through the area as the blond demon looked back at them, eyes glowing now, lips peeling back to reveal sharper and more pronounced teeth. From behind him appeared the fox's tail, waving sinuously behind them. "You are not a friend. You are enemy."

Sand rushed toward them suddenly, and Itachi moved out of the way as it crashed through the trees. Creating several clones, he sent them quickly at the Sand demon. They rushed the jinchuuriki, kunai out, but each attack was diverted by the demons' sand, the ultimate defense, that came up and blocked each strike. The sand struck at each clone in return as the youth stood there, seeming unconcerned but angry.

Itachi sent another two clones in, and as these two got close enough, they promptly exploded, knocking the jinchuuriki several meters through the forest. Itachi followed as the jinchuuriki crashed through thick branches, his sand protecting him from major damage, until he crashed into a trunk. The gourd on his back shattered, pouring sand down to the earth. The red-head got to his feet quickly, green eyes enraged, face cracking as he lifted his hands and sent several shots of sand at him.

Itachi made the seals for a katon technique, inhaling deeply and blowing a large ball of fire at the sand. They collided with the sound of breaking glass, and out of the smoke the jinchuuriki appeared, having followed his sand. Sand gathered around his arms as he brought them down on the Uchiha, who upon being struck turned into a flock of crows, flying madly about him. Gaara's sand whipped about, trying to strike them from the trees.

"It's too late Gaara-san, I already have you trapped. Surrender." In the near distance, there was the inhuman sounds of howling, roaring, the feeling of massive amounts of chakra being used- demonic chakra- for it always felt more vicious and wild than human chakra. He imagined Kisame was having quite a fight- one that may be too much for him to handle, judging by the intense sound of numerous breaking trees and the scent of water drifting through the air.

The flock of crows reformed into the clone, pulling out his short blade katana and leaping toward the jinchuuriki. The sand was barely quick enough to stop the strikes, coming up almost a second too late, but it was enough for Itachi to plant another exploding clone past his defenses. The Sand jinchuuriki was once again knocked back from the force of the explosion, crashing to the earth, this time injured. Half of his right arm had been blown away, which he had lifted up to protect his face, most of his clothes were scorched away.

The sand writhed around his body as he tried to regain his feet, gasping in pain, but Itachi did not want to waste time or chakra- knowing that he may have to help subdue the Nine Tailed Fox Demon. He dropped down from where he stood and pulled out a senbon needle, aiming for the nerves in the sand nin-s neck. But the sand came up and knocked his hand away, then attempted to sweep his legs from under him. Itachi stepped out of the way, and saw that the sand was beginning to gather around the jinchuuriki in a ball -like sphere.

No, he did not have the time to waste with this one. As the jinchuuriki turned pained, hateful eyes on him, Itachi activated his Mangekyo, feeling chakra drawn to his eyes. The Tsukuyomi drew the jinchuuriki into the black and red world. "For three days, you will suffer the worst thing in the world." Quickly withdrawing, he blinked his pained eyes, feeling a portion of his chakra gone from a mere three seconds of use, but surveyed his work.

He did not know much about the sand-nin, therefore, he had chosen to leave the method of torture to the jinchuuriki's own mind. The 'worst thing in the world' was entirely subjective- it could be anything from one person to the other, but he had used it before on several different people, and the mental damage had been lasting. It would no doubt come up with the worst thing to him, and judging by the horrified look on the youth's face, it was enough. The sand jinchuuriki staggered forward, strange pained noises coming from his agape mouth, sand sliding from his flesh onto the earth. The red-head screamed once before dropping to the dirt, eyes rolling up into his head and becoming still.

Itachi looked back in the direction where Kisame was no doubt still fighting, due to the inhuman screams coming from that direction, and also for a small flood of water that came rushing toward him. Itachi picked up the jinchuuriki, tossing him over a shoulder and leaping into the trees, heading for his partner. They'd have been the only two of the nine to bring in _two_ jinchuuriki instead of one. No doubt, Kisame would gloat endlessly.

------

The Kyuubi leaped for him immediately, face feral, bloodlust about him, but before the fox even reached the ninja, a pair of red, boiling chakra hands shot from the earth and made to grab him. "Nice," Kisame commented as he swung Samehada at the arms, and the sword sucked up the chakra upon touch. The sword hummed, a tremor of vibration running through it, and he felt its pleasure. "Oooh, you like that, don't you?" he laughed as he dodged the angry fox. The fox landed vertically on a tree, giving him a startled look before making the signs of a jutsu.

Hundreds of Kyuubi popped into the area, all giving deep snarls as they leaped at him. Kisame dropped down into the swamp. Breaking into seals, he called out, "Suiton: Bakusui Shoha no jutsu," and blew out a large wave of water, canceling hundreds of clones as he rode a wave into the trees. The brown creature dropped down from the foliage, swinging a massive hand at his head, but he blocked it with Samehada, watching as the scales forcibly peeled the flesh from the creature's arm. The creature didn't seem to care, bringing its other arm around to crush him, but Kisame blew it back with another release of water, only to quickly avoid the angry advance of the fox demon, whose chakra arms extended to grab him.

Again Samehada absorbed the chakra, humming in delight as he advanced on the fox, swinging his blade at the demon while avoiding the tail that whipped about him. He could feel the heat from it, but Samehada took it away, only for another tail to take its place. He took that tail too, then blocked the claws of the fox, hearing the crunch of bone, grinning in pleasure as his sword tugged at the chakra from the creature. But in that second, the demon leaned forward, not caring for its crushed hand, and gave a sharp- bark-like sound in his ear, causing him to wince with pain and leap away. He was then forced to dodge the brown creature, which had returned, but with the ringing in his ear, his equilibrium was off, and the creature managed to clip him on the shoulder.

He felt bones crack.

"Suiton: Suikodan no Jutsu," Water rose up from the large lake he had created on the forest floor in the shape of sharks and sped toward the brown demon, catching it by the mid-riff and smashing it into a tree. Another one sped toward the creature as it gained its feet, but something blue crashed into it, destroying its shape and turning it back to simple water.

And then he was fighting the Kyuubi before he could see what that blue thing was, avoiding what may prove to be deadly strikes, judging by the damage its fist was doing to the surrounding trees. He kicked the fox down into the water, then quickly followed with a mizu bunshin. As the demon came up, the missing-nin used the water prison technique, trapping the demon in the sphere. With his arm in the sphere, he grinned at the demon as it floated and tried to writhe about in the sphere, looking started and confused.

"It's been fun, Kyuubi," he said, and the demon turned red eyes on him, face splitting into a grin. Kisame looked over to see his bunshin fighting the brown creature, but what caught his attention was the rather large blue wolf with black eyes and snarling black teeth approaching.

"What the _hell_ are you?"

*What I am is the least of your worries, human,* The cool, soothing voice drifted through his head, completely opposite of the snarling creature. The wolf leaped forward, Kisame lifted his sword, and it immediately began to pull on the creatures chakra, enough to make it pause and settle into the water, black eyes surveying him quietly. The Fox demon began to make noises, growls, clicks, hisses- all three at the same time mixed with a cadence that said he was speaking, red eyes moving toward Kisame's arm.

He felt the cancellation of his bunshin, his pale eyes narrowing as the brown one leaped for him. Samehada hadn't pulled chakra from this one, and so he was forced to release the Kyuubi as the brown creature leaped upon him. There was a splash as the fox demon dropped into the water, then pain as he felt one of those chakra hands grab one of his legs as he tried to move away. Wincing in pain, the mist nin was forced into the water as he attempted to shred the brown one in half, watching the water turn red with its blood as he twisted in the water and cut the connection of the chakra hand, just in time too, for another large clawed hand had been about to grab him about the torso.

Kisame stepped onto the surface of the water, eyes darting about to take in who was where. The brown one was moving away from him, one side of its torso shredded, showing the bones of its ribcage. The blue wolf had Kyuubi by the shoulder, and was pulling the soaking demon above the water. The fox did not look injured- the hand that he had crushed looked perfectly fine- the fox looked fine- only irritated and wet. What stamina.

Kisame grinned again as he made the seals for another jutsu, "Suiton: Goshokuzame no jutsu." He slapped his palms onto the surface of the water and watched as water, the shape of sharks shot form his fingers and rushed at the demons. Kyuubi dodged the first one, but the second one ripped through its chest, spraying the water with dark, hot blood. The demon fell under the surface while the blue wolf charged the third shark and slammed its body into the jutsu, destroying that one. The fourth shark came in too quickly for the blue demon to recover, and it blew through it, causing a flash of blue light to bathe the area, making Kisame squint. He felt Samehada hum, and instinct told him to jump, which he did, and managed to avoid two of the fox's chakra hands which burst from the water to grab him.

He leaped up into the trees, watching as the Kyuubi lifted itself to the water surface, lips turned down as it stood, and Kisame saw that its chest was perfectly unharmed- having healed _that_ fast. The demon turned and looked at the blue wolf, whose body was slightly sinking into the water, flashing blue, the shape seeming to morph at parts.

The brown creature trudged through the water toward the other two, speaking in the gutteral language he assumed demons must speak. And Kisame smiled.

It was agreed upon as a young ninja of mist, that one of the first things one learned was never to mix lightning jutsu with water jutsu, so most mist-nin stayed away from fights where the opponent used raiton attacks. But Kisame liked to use them- with the utmost care of course.

"Raiton: Kadzuchi no Kiba no justu." Electricity-like chakra gathered around his hands and shot past the trees into the sky, and a slight numbness in his fingers told him that he had been close to frying himself too. The sky beyond the thick trees grumbled, and the three demons looked up as several bolts of lightning shot down through the trees and struck the water. There were several monstrous screams, and again he was forced to shield his eyes as the blue wolf exploded into a flash of blue. There was the smell of ozone, smoke, and the sound of bodies splashing through the water. He lowered his hand, eyes focusing on the creatures staggering from the water into the mud. The blue wolf, was no longer a wolf, but a small flame of light, the exact same one that had been above Kyuubi's head before the fight began, except now it zoomed madly about the surface of the water, clearly damaged. It did some pretty amusing loops, several mid-stops, and weird flickers, before it zoomed across the opposite side of the lake and disappeared into the trees.

Kyuubi, had managed to crawl ashore, slipping in the mud, completely naked, and giving a decidedly nasty cough, smoke puffing from its lungs. Kisame dropped down into the mud, and the hacking demon looked over at him, red eyes changing, the whites filling with blood, and the pupils thinning to the point that they were almost gone. A grating sound was coming from the damaged lungs as the creature crawled toward him sinuously, mouth agape, showing a mouth with too much teeth, teeth that would do some serious damage if one was bitten.

"You are one tough son of a bitch," Kisame complimented as he tossed three senbon full of sedatives into the creatures back. The demon didn't seem to notice, still crawling toward him. More smoke drifted from its mouth as seven needles stabbed into its back. Kisame looked up to see Itachi standing on a low branch, black eyes gazing around at the water drenched area, the sand jinchuuriki slung over his shoulder.

The fox gave a spitting sound, something loud and strange, and he turned to see the demon slump into the mud, the sedatives finally taking over. Kisame chuckled and limped toward the seemingly unconscious fox.

"You're injured," Itachi commented in a monotone, and he nodded, pausing to lift up his pants leg and view a burned leg, from the knee down. His shoulder also ached painfully.

"Yeah, well I had three bastard to fight, not one," he approached the naked fox demon, plucking the ten senbon out of its back before turning it over. He _almost _jerked back when he made eye contact with the creature, about to stab him with another needle, but the blue eyes gazing at him were unfocused, more like staring past him, not at him.

Kisame's eyes narrowed, and he moved a finger in front of those eyes, about to be satisfied, but then he saw the eyes shift slightly in the direction that his fingers moved. "This bastards' still conscious!" he exclaimed in disbelief. The demon was loaded on enough sedatives to take down three elephants! He took out another needle and slipped it into the demon's neck, watching the eyes closely, but they didn't change- the pupils didn't get any smaller or larger. Kisame moved a finger again, and again the eyes tried to follow it. "I'll be damned..."

Itachi dropped down to his side and silently offered one of the bandages on his arm. Kisame cut it away and tied it around the demons' head, covering his eyes...and after a moment of thought, stuffed the rest in its mouth. He removed his damaged cloak and wrapped it around the demon's naked body, settled it over his shoulder, and they got ready to go.

At the same time, they felt eyes upon them, and both ninja turned to see the brown creature standing several meters away, smoke rising from its body, yellow eyes focused on them. Itachi took a step toward it, but it slunk away into the dark foliage, surprisingly silent for all its size.

They looked at each other- Kisame shrugged, and then they leaped into the trees, heading for their base. They had two extractions to do, but for some reason, the missing-nin felt that the extraction of the Kyuubi wasn't going to be as easy as the previous ones.

-----------------------

Tsorn watched them go, the two humans, with Gaara and Sunny, feeling a bit helpless. This had been completely unexpected. He did not know _who_ this Akatsuki was, Dyadem had called them, but they had defeated all three of them. Tsorn slunk into the foliage, feeling his inside were cooked, his head fuzzy, and he began to dig a hole into the earth as he felt the _healing rest_ descending. He dreaded this- the last one had lasted a full year- he didn't know what would happen to Sunny if he was gone as long again. The damage wasn't so bad- he wasn't in the shape he had been in last time. It should be shorter this time.

The brown demon dropped into the large hole that he had created and quickly began to cover himself as the _healing rest_ began to descend upon him, making his movements slow, until they stopped completely.

------------------

The blue light zoomed through the forest, sinking into trees, rolling, dancing through the air, and though it seemed nothing more than a whimsical flame, the mind of it was in chaos, electrical pulses running through it constantly, bouncing about it, so that it could not even complete a single thought- its mind seemingly shattered.

The blue light was confused.

_Sunny-Kyuubi injured- Gaara- No _Shukaku_- Who....?_

_Lights-humans, red clouds- storming through direction-Tsorn-Who..?_

_What? Who?_

_Water-pain- Akatsuki direction...What?_

_Direction. Wrong direction._

The blue light paused in the little dance it had been doing among the leaves, then turned back the way it had come, and continued to dance, stopping here and there, as if it couldn't remember some tune that it had been moving to. But it was somehow content in its confusion, when each pulse of electricity ran through it. It may kill many thoughts, but the blue flame was sure that it was going the right way.

------------

Kakashi leaned over his student, gently patting his cheek, trying to get him to return to consciousness. He lifted his head and glanced around at the area, making sure no one was coming upon them. The two remaining Sand siblings had pointed him in the right direction in which Natsu and Sasuke had gone. They had returned to Konoha in search of their missing brother Gaara, who had abandoned his village and had apparently come here. They had stayed behind to help Gai's student Rock Lee fight the sound-nin called Kimimaro, allowing Natsu to go on ahead and try to stop Sasuke from making a big mistake.

However, the gentle genin had failed. Kakashi sighed and picked the youth up in his arms, watching as two Leaf nin approached quickly.

"Sir! About three miles from here there was a battle," Kakashi looked in the direction they pointed to. Sunny? Nara Shikamaru had said that Sunny had shown up, with Gaara as well, and Chouji had said that he had let the blond borrow his pants. "Whoever was fighting, the fight looked big- like a war zone!"

"Any bodies?" Kakashi inquired, and the leaf nin shook their heads.

"We checked the whole area- found nothing but loads of water, broken trees..."

"Ozone," one piped, catching Kakashi's attention. "Felt like someone used a raiton jutsu, which is crazy with all that water around." The Leaf nins face turned thoughtful, then he said. "Except I've been down this way several times, and the only water you get is a small swamp." His eyes narrowed. "But there's enough water in that area to make a lake now."

"Seems like the work of someone from Mist." The other nin commented

Kakashi sighed, readjusting Natsu in his arms. "We'll look further into it once I get my student settled in a hospital."

Both ninja nodded and saluted him as he headed for the others. Two gone now.

**TBC**

**Okay, so...Sunny and company never made it to Sound.**

**The whole thing with Itachi's Tsukuyomi 'worst thing in the world' was not me trying to be creative. I just couldn't come up with an interesting way to torture Gaara, so I gave up after ten minutes of staring at my computer.**

**I don't consider Sunny to be a very bright character, so he makes up for that in stamina and his ability to bounce back from almost anything.**

**Dyadem has an apparent weakness for lightning techniques. Samehada stopped him from possessing Kisame- every time he got close, it would suck out chakra.**

**Also there was some dialogue that was missed between Sunny and Dyadem because it was from an outsiders POV, but the next chapter will highlight some of the things said.**

**Next Chapter: Someone dies... **


	26. Hungering Chaos

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to Daystar Clarion

**I**'**m kind of embarrassed to be updating, since its been more than two years since the last one, but...here you are... We'll be bouncing around in this chapter a lot- forgive me.**

_**Warnings: graphic violence, gore, more cannibalism (if that's how you want to view it) Very AU, canon character death**_

**Dancing with Demons**

_**Chapter Twenty- Four**_

_**Hungering Chaos**_

They had covered his mouth and his eyes, but sense of smell and hearing had not been taken away from him, and he was well aware that he was far from his _territory_. He could smell the dry dirt, he could hear their boots scuffing silently against the rocks that they moved over. Perhaps humans couldn't hear it, but he could hear and smell everything- the scent of their sweat, and salty tang of Gaara's blood, the almost silent rasp of his labored breaths. But he could do nothing.

It was like he was _resting, _except his body was no way near that time, and he couldn't be going through the _healing_ _rest_, because he had not been badly injured. Oh the lightning going through him had cooked a few things, but by the time he had pulled himself from the muddy water, he could already feel the healing taking place. No, he hadn't been hurt enough for_ healing rest._

They had _forced_ him into a type of _rest, _everything about it felt unnatural, even leaving his mind a bit muddled. Usually his mind was completely clear during _resting_, maybe thought was a little slower, but it was clear and concise. But this had left his mind vaguely confused- it was hard to focus on things this way. But he could still hear, and he could still smell. And when he could, he made promises. He would kill everyone in sight when whatever they had put in him wore off. He would slaughter and consume every human he could once he was free- there would be no mercy- he didn't care _who_ it was.

They were dead. _All of them_. They just didn't know it yet.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

It was within the earth that proper thought returned to Dyadem, and he knew who he was and what had happened to Sunny and Tsorn. He rose from the dirt-no sand, and took wolf form, blinking around at his surroundings. It had been his befuddled intention to follow Sunny's captors- the electrical current had allowed him that much thought, but it seemed he still had wound up somewhere he had not expected. He stared out at the ocean, watched the waves crash gently up the shore, sensing that the gray water was cold; he watched the sea birds scream as they massed into the sky, flying above him, their attention on him, an angry, frightened cloud of flesh and feather. Why had he ended up here? He had been sure that he was heading the right way, or as sure as his damaged mind could allow.

He turned from the shore, about to head up the beach onto more stable land, when sound disappeared, muted so suddenly that he had for a second believed he had lost his ability to hear. Dyadem froze, turning back to the water. The ocean had stopped moving. Dyadem stared apprehensively at the seemingly frozen water, small waves raised but unmoving. The sea birds had fled quickly and silently, disappearing from view, having fled the ocean front. Dyadem took a step back in the dead silence, and for a wary second appreciated the sheer size of L'Yrishka, where the ocean touched the sky there was no movement.

It had been questioned millenniums ago, who was the largest of the _Masters_, and between L'Yrishka and Kyuubi, he believed that the female had officially won, for he could not see nor hear any moving water- that was the sheer mass of her. There was also the chill, that he had not felt her come, had not sensed her rise from the deep mysterious depths that she preferred to dwell in.

*L'Yrishka. It has been some time.*

\Indeed little possessor,/ she gurgled, and a human skeleton emerged from the water, seaweed attached to its naked skull, mimicking hair as it moved fluidly through the water, heading steadily for the shore. The skeleton stopped as its feet touched the sandy shore, empty sockets focused on him, forever grinning. \But I expected Kyuubi to visit me, for it has been such a long time since he and I have shared company together. Tell me possessor, what has kept him away from me?/

Ah yes. It had been rumored, that Kyuubi had taken a liking to the female demon that dwelled in the ocean, that they had often shared company together. However that had stopped after Keiyatsutsan had ruined everything. Everyone had fled, and though Kyuubi himself had not been on earth at the time, he had not returned to stay, only showing up every few decades to lower the human population by several hundred thousand. Only L'Yrishka and the Lesser Demons had remained permanently, and the Lesser's not by choice.

*Loss of memory, I fear. He may have taken over the human body he was forced in, but he lost all memory of himself. He has become a new demon, weaker.*

\A pity. You'll have to bring him to me soon- I will return his memory for him./ The demon did not seem surprised by his admission, but that was of no surprise- it was from her that he had learned of Kyuubi's imprisonment while others whispered of his demise

The skeleton lifted a bone finger and brushed a strand of greenish-yellow seaweed from in front of its skull, a very human gesture. Behind it, the ocean remained frozen, L'Yrishka remained unmoving. If such a demon were to come ashore, what would she look like? What form would she take? She was not a possessor, so she did have a physical form. Was it really water?

\What is it that you desire of me, little Keiyatsutsan?/ she trickled.

*Do not call me by that name!* Dyadem snapped, feeling disdain run through him. *I am not my brother.*

The teeth parted in what seemed like soundless laughter. \But you wanted to be. You coveted so much of what he had, jealous of his power, of his friendship with Kyuubi./

*You know nothing of what you speak,* Dyadem replied coldly, baring his black fangs.

\Ah, but I do,/ she splashed. \The sea holds many secrets, and many have desired to share them with me. Keiyatsutsan often spoke of you, of your jealousies./ The skeleton's head cocked to the side in silent speculation of him. \Shall I tell you a secret?/

Dyadem's eyes narrowed as the skeleton moved toward him, stopping at his side. It smelled of the ocean, and of course, of a _Master_ demon.

\It is known that Keiyatsutsan ate too many human brains, but only_ I_ know that it was at Kyuubi's request./

Dyadem blinked, looking up at the skeleton, who looked down at him, the seaweed dangling from its skull. The sun was high and directly behind it, so that most of its skull was in shadow. *What are you speaking of?*

\You know, like the many before you, and the many after you, that it is advised never to consume too many humans brains- the knowledge of them changes the way a demon's mind works, thinks, reasons. Many have become sympathizers of them, befriending them, keeping them as pets, protecting them./

He had not heard of this- he was sure his brother had been the first to feel anything for the creatures, and had not heard of there being others who had desired to remain in a human's company.

\Kyuubi's interest in humans was unusual, to say in the least. You see, my little possessor, Kyuubi spent ninety-nine percent of his time in the spirit realm, unlike all the others, who had dwelled here. But every so often, he would come down here, and attempt to wipe out the human race, and any demon who dared to care for them. Once, he was almost successful in wiping them from the face of this earth, but the Spirits intervened on behalf of the humans. They gathered together and stopped him from completely annihilating the humans with his destructive Hell Foxes./

*I know this,* Dyadem said, not that he knew Kyuubi had lived mostly in the spirit realm, but that he had hated humans with a passion. *Tell me what this had to do with Keiyatsutsan.*

\No one knows Kyuubi's age, we all can simply guess by the random words that he had shared over the millenniums, but some have rumored it was long before humans came about. You see, when humans started progressing mentally, when they started to build things, become a sentient civilization, well, Kyuubi sent Keiyatsutsan down to discover what the humans were about, how their minds worked, what they were capable of. He _encouraged_ your brother to eat the brains, knowing what it would do to him, and most likely, what it could do to the rest of our kind./ The skeleton lifted a bony finger to its chin. \I wonder if that makes him just as responsible as Keiyatsutsan for the woes that have plagued our kind?/

Dyadem gazed down at the sand. He remembered when the strife had started for his kind, when the humans had all but chased them from this realm. He remembered the hatred and rage that was sent toward all the possessors. Humans used chakra against them, humans defeated them with their innovative ways of using it. Humans had a way of taking something and twisting it into something completely new, something utterly unexpected. And Keiyatsutsan, a possessor, had shown them how to do it. He had fled up to the spirit realm, had gone to Kyuubi to tell him what Keiyatsutsan had done. He remembered how unsurprised Kyuubi was, how those enormous crimson eyes had gazed at him, then turned to observe the dealings of the earth realm. Kyuubi hadn't been enraged like he had thought he would, had simply simmered, had said that Keiyatsutsan was not allowed to return, that he had betrayed his race.

Dyadem looked up at the skeleton. *And what do you gain from this telling?*

\Nothing,/ she sprayed. \Sometimes the sea has a wanting of sharing its secrets./ The skeleton lifted its head and stared up at the sun. \I do not know _why_ Kyuubi hated the humans- he hated them long before they became dangerous. He would never tell me; he was a creature of few words./ She looked down at him. \But I always imagined it had something to do with the Spirits- something they must have told him, long before you and I existed, something he did not like- perhaps something he wanted to prevent./ The skeleton turned and began to move fluidly toward the immobile shoreline, and he noticed pockets of water were holding the joints of the bones together. \But who knows,/ she sprinkled, skeleton half submerged and continuing to sink lower as it continued to walk. \Fox are sly things, and if they keep secrets, it's for a bigger laugh at the end of all things./ The skeleton was gone, submerged in the frozen depths.

Dyadem stared at the frozen ocean, or more like L'Yrishka, until suddenly the water crashed against the shore, and there was movement all the way to the horizon. She had left. Dyadem continued to stare, letting his mind mull over things. Shukaku had been right in a way, L'Yrishka would not be able to tell him things of current import, most likely she knew nothing of the Akatsuki and what had happened to the others. She only had secrets and memories. Important ones. But it was she that had told him of Kyuubi's imprisonment- how she knew, he hadn't gotten around to asking.

He did not know _what_ to think about what had gone on with Kyuubi and Keiyatsutsan. Had Kyuubi deliberately done that to his brother? He shook his head and looked up at the sky, seeing that none of the seagulls had returned, that the sound of the surf was the only noise that was in the area. Would they return, or had L'Yrishka scared them off for good?

Dyadem headed up the beach and into the nearby forest. He had to find Shukaku and Sunny- no Kyuubi...He flashed into his natural form and floated up into the leaves. It was her parting words that agitated him the most- or perhaps it was everything about the female demon that irked him.

_...a bigger laugh at the end of all things..._

Two things happened to the very old-One, they became short tempered and impatient, tired of seeing others make the same mistakes over again, or extremely patient, extremely conniving, able to slowly let their plans play out over vast periods of time.

He paused, mulling over Kyuubi's personality; he had fallen in that second category- slow to anger, unperturbed by the dealings around him. And suddenly he wanted to know what it was that the Spirits had told Kyuubi- if they had truly imparted some dark truth to him. He wanted to know if whatever it was- would it have caused Kyuubi to plot Keiyatsutsan's fall from grace. He wanted to know if he should be enraged.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The humans brought him down into the earth, into a cool webbing of caves. He could smell humans in there, several of them, and he could smell the cave rock. He knew he was far from Fire Country, because this cave wasn't connected to one of his own; he could not scent himself down here in the dry coolness.

During the whole trek, both humans remained silent, not speaking to one another, except for the sounds of their breathing and the other minute noises humans made involuntarily. There was a grating sound, and he was dropped down onto a rocky floor, his face smacking into the hard surface.

"You stay comfortable for a while while we take care of your friend here," the blue-ish human, Kisame said. Sunny growled deep in his chest in response, making the human chuckle in amusement. "We'll be back." The grating continued, and the humans retreated until they were faint echoes in the rocks. His tongue, though it had been very heavy in his mouth, finally seemed to function, and he was able to push the cloth out of his mouth, then tried to lift his arms, and only one moved, sliding along the rocks closer to his head. He rubbed his face against the rock, pulling the cloth over his eyes up so he could peer out at his surroundings. He was in a small dark cave with jagged walls and an even more jagged ceiling. He lifted his heavy head and peered ahead, staring at the metal bars that trapped him within the cave. Beyond it was a tunnel that led off to other tunnels. Then his head flopped back down and he continued to wait for mobility to return.

What seemed like hours later, he heard the sound of movement, a strange sliding of what sounded like flesh against rock, a strange scent of human- but not human- perhaps tree bark, and then the familiar stab of the senbon needles raining along his back, and he was back into that immobile _resting_ like state, once again unable to move, barely able to keep his eyes open. Twice more it happened- just when mobility was starting to come back, there was that stranger's approach, then the stabbing of the senbon needles. He wondered if he would ever be free of the forced _resting_.

And then the _resting_ was fading, of a sudden, as if his body would no longer tolerate being held down any longer; he felt a burning in his blood, and he could slowly lift his head up again. He dragged his arm under his chest and tried to push himself up to at least a sitting position, and the arm managed to lift him a little. His left leg seemed to finally respond to his silent commands and moved under him, so that he was finally up on one hand and knee. But his head felt too heavy, his neck too weak to hold it.

So he stayed in that position until his other arm moved to hold him up, then his other leg so now that he was on both hands and knees, staring at the rocky floor. After what seemed like an hour, he finally lifted his head properly, and sat back, staring in empty silence at the gate. He would attempt to bend the bars, but he would wait, perhaps another hour until he was sure he had his strength back. His reserves were pitifully low, but they had been since the pack had died- it had never been what it had been since then. Not enough time, not enough meals- but if needed he could still go weeks without nourishment. He wouldn't be happy about it though.

He worried about Gaara, who he could recall by smell alone, was injured. Was he in a _healing rest _right now, in some other cell?

Another hour passed, it seemed like an eternity, before he got to his feet, brushed the needles from his back and rushed the thick bars. The moment his fingers gripped the bars, an intense shock blew through him, knocking the demon onto his back. It felt remarkably similar to the bolt of lightning that had gone through him. Sunny gave a hissing growl, leaping to his feet and rushed at the bars again, gripping them in a rage as the shocks reverberated through his body. He threw his head back and howled, then bit the bars, attempting to gnaw at them with his teeth. Pain exploded through his head, and again he was tossed back, landing on his back. Blood filled his mouth, and as he turned over onto his stomach, he began to spit out blood and teeth, most of them the ones in the front. He was trapped. He turned and glared hatefully back at the bars, spying something at the far end of the hall. It was protruding from the rock, a black and white head with strange grayish-green protrusions encasing its head and shoulders. It looked like a human- at least it had a human's head and hair. In a black and white face sat two round dull yellow eyes with no pupils, both focused silently on him. The scent of human and tree bark hit him, and he knew this was the one that had been forcing him to _rest_ for what felt like days.

Sunny staggered to his feet, spitting more blood out of his mouth and sent both chakra hands out past the gate, reaching for the strange human creature- but it was too far, and the chakra hands jerked to a strained stop not a foot from the thing.

"Where'th Gaara?" With most of his front teeth missing, his tongue clacked against his still bleeding gums. "Gith him thu me!" The chakra hands dissipated, as if knowing that there was no use trying to get at the creature. He snatched up a handful of senbon that had littered the floor and threw them all at the human/plant thing- it sank into the rock and was gone, the senbon clattering against the rocky wall uselessly. Sunny backed away from the bars, ears straining to hear more sounds as blood continually dripped past his lips. He could hear it faintly, the sound of human voices, and then he could feel it, the gathering of chakra, lot's of it, each with their own flavor. What was happening up there? Where was Gaara? What was happening to Gaara?

Where was Dyadem?

Where was Tsorn?

Sunny sent his chakra hands and grabbed the bars, attempting to pry them open with his chakra, but the bars gave an audible hum, the arms gave wild spasms, then both exploded.

Sunny turned to the rocky walls of his prison and clawed at them in a rage, losing claws and quickly growing new ones just as a tooth broke through the top of his gums.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

He was huddled in a ball, crouching down, trying to make himself as small as possible, to shield himself from a pain that wasn't physical, but it felt so. He was truly alone now- no village- no siblings- but more importantly, no Sunny. He wasn't monster enough. He gave a crazed laugh as tears poured down his face. All his life, the humans of Suna, the opponents he had fought, his own father and siblings, had called him a monster. He didn't belong with them- he wasn't wanted. Monsters didn't belong with humans. Then he had met other monsters- Sunny, Dyadem, and Tsorn. And they had made him feel like he belonged- he was with fellow monsters- he had _belonged_!

But now Sunny did not want him around. He wasn't monster enough! He was too human! He was neither here nor there- he was trapped somewhere in a middle that did not truly exist. There was no middle- and yet he was there.

Pain roared through his body- yes, this time it was clearly physical, and Gaara tried to cry out, tried to struggle- but he could not move. It felt like his life was being sucked from him, pulled through his pores. He tried to force his eyes open, tried to scream, but could not. He was helpless, he was being killed. People were standing around him- His Father! And Temari, with Kankuro at her side. They all had similar expressions of disdain on their faces. He tried to look away, and to his horror there stood Sunny, grinning, red eyes staring down at him apathetically.

He tried to reach out to him, he wanted to ask for help- he wanted to play hide and seek again- no one but Sunny had ever bothered to play with him- no one but Sunny had ever _wanted_ to. But the blond jinchuuriki shook his head, the smile fading from his face.

"Sorry Gaara," he said in the language of humans, and it seemed just speaking it annoyed him. "You're simply too...human."

Gaara felt weakened- he felt like he was crumbling away, withering away- in fact- he wanted to, if only to get away from their gazes. The pain was already gone-

Suddenly his vision flashed white, causing him to squint, then everything went black, with two triangular-like yellow eyes staring down at him. He knew those eyes. Shukaku.

"It's an illusion," the whiny voice said, sounding like grated sand.

_What?_

"The ninja put you under a genjutsu. You remember- the one with the red clouded cloak."

Yes- he remembered fighting that one- what was his name? Itachi?

"All of it is an illusion. Shhh. Can't you hear him? He's calling you."

Gaara strained his ears, desperate to know, desperate to believe- and he could hear it, just at the edge of his hearing.

"_Gaara_! _Gaara_!"

Relief flooded through him, tears streamed down his face as his mouth turned up into a smile. Sunny was searching for him, seeking him out. And he was hiding- he had gotten a bit better at hiding. He belonged. He was wanted. He was monster enough.

"_Gaara_!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sunny slumped down against the bloody stone that he had been clawing at for the last twenty minutes, staring absently at the nail that was growing back, running his tongue along the newly regrown teeth in his mouth. He had been calling for the red-head for some time, and his only response was a burst of chakra from Shukaku. Maybe he was free? Maybe he was on his way. So Sunny sat against the wall and waited eagerly for Gaara to come, sure that he was in the process of decimating their enemies on his way. He would free him from the burning cage and they would go about eating the rest of the surviving opponents. It would be a feast that they both would talk about for years.

He lifted his head at the sound of approaching footsteps, hopping to his feet and moving close to the bars, his eager smile fading as he noticed that the light steps were in no hurry, and though he could smell Gaara, he could also smell the human he had fought. He backed away from the bars, red eyes narrowed as the blue-ish human Kisame came into view, Gaara slung over his left shoulder.

"Thought I'd deliver this personally," he said with a sharp grin, stopping just out of range of grabbing distance. Sunny stared at the limp body on the human's shoulder, eyes narrowing further until there was just a red glint behind his lashes. The human tossed Gaara toward the gate, the red-head flopping lifelessly down several feet from the bars. Sunny didn't move as he stared at the body.

"He's probably still smiling," the human said, and Sunny's narrowed eyes looked at him. "He was smiling when he died." The human seemed to wait for him to say something, but he remained silent, until the blue-ish human became bored with him and left. Still he stared down at Gaara. His clothes were burnt in many places, and one of his arms had been blown off from the elbow down.

Sunny's chakra hands slithered past the gate, carefully clutching Gaara around the torso and lifted him toward the bars. He could not squeeze his own body through the bars, so he did not try to pull Gaara through them either. Instead he moved to the bars and turned his friend over, reaching his hand carefully through the bars to touch his cold face with the tips of his fingers.

Gaara's empty green eyes were slightly open, his now grey lips turned up in a slight smile. Sunny looked at the fingertips of his own hand that had touched such cold flesh. His fingers blurred as tears filled his eyes.

Another pack member gone.

He backed away from the bars and settled himself against the wall, staring back at the body. The chakra hands grabbed the body again and attempted to pull him through the bars, and it hummed, Gaara's body jerking as the shocks ran through his lifeless flesh. Sunny leaped forward, grabbing the bars his friend was being shoved through and pulled with all his might before the shocks sent him crashing against the far wall. But he had managed to bend the bars just enough that Gaara was pulled through and brought to him. The hands laid his friend on his back, and Sunny crouched at his side, sniffing him over. He smelled human- more human than Sunny had ever smelled him. The scent of Demon was fading.

He looked up at the craggy ceiling. Was Shukaku gone? Was Shukaku dead too? Was everyone he cared about going to die by some action of his own? His face crumbled, and tears fell down his cheeks. Krik, Spayt, Tkaa- was Tsorn even alive?- or was he thoroughly cooked by the lightning, at the bottom of all that water? Was he always going to be alone?

A sob escaped his throat as he tore Gaara's long-sleeved shirt from his body, taking the undamaged arm and biting a finger off. When would he have his revenge? He crunched the digit and swallowed, wiping his wet face as another sob broke from his mouth. He bit off another finger. When would he devour all of his enemies?

Humans seemed in the process of taking everything from him.

He clutched Gaara to his body in a tight embrace. \I' am sorry friend,/ he said in Demontongue. \ I' am sorry./ He bit into his cold shoulder, deep enough that his teeth grazed bone, and he began to devour him.

Within the hour there was very little left of the jinchuuriki- there was his clothes, burnt and discarded, and there was his teeth, that Sunny was moving about absently in one hand as he stared vacantly at the far wall. He would keep them, make a necklace out of them- or a bracelet... they would be a reminder to him, of what he had lost- yet again.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The entire area looked completely different from what he remembered, but acute memory told Dyadem that he was in fact at the last spot he had seen and fought beside Sunny. The whole area was flooded with water and driftwood. Though he had attempted to follow the fox, he had clearly veered off course somewhere- _way_ off course, and so he had to start back at the spot he had last seen Sunny. How he had gotten all the way to L'Yrishka was a mystery. The last thing he could remember was standing on the water, telling an angry Sunny to have caution. Then there had been that sudden flash of light-

\I figured you would be back./

Dyadem paused, floating up toward the trees and up to where Tsorn crouched, the leg of a deer disappearing down his throat. He seemed uninjured.

*Where is Sunny?* Though he already knew the answer.

Tsorn's yellow eyes stared at him a moment before he replied. \Gone. The humans took him./

*Useless!* Dyadem hissed, flashing into his wolf form and putting his face not an inch from Tsorn's brown face. *And why are you here? You should have followed him!*

The Lesser Demon bared his teeth back at him. \And I would have, if not for the _healing rest_! I am not like the three of you- if I get injured, I have to pay the price a lot faster than you do./

Dyadem swallowed his anger- yes, occasionally he forgot that Tsorn was Lesser.

*We must go find him then. Which way did they go?*

Tsorn gave him a flat look before leaping into another tree. \This way. We've lost a full day and a half. Where were _you?/ _He had the audacity to sound accusatory.

*Hearing tales,* he replied, baring his teeth at the other demon. The brown demon snorted before turning away and moving through the trees.

\I hope it was something useful, like who this Akat- something is,/ Tsorn grumbled. \And what they want with Sunny. And I suppose you should know that Shukaku has been taken as well./

This gave the possessor pause, and he resisted the urge to groan- typical that he would have been captured yet again.

\The scent is weak, but the blood connection is strong/ Tsorn murmured, moving through the trees. \All this water.../

Dyadem flashed back to his original form and floated silently after the Lesser as they made their way through what was now a marsh, the forest ruined by the humans' summoning of things they should have never learned. And all this time, Keiyatsutsan had been the blame. But what of the one he served? What hand did Kyuubi truly have in all of this? Betrayal? Had he betrayed them? Dyadem grumbled darkly. How had this all come to pass- jinchuuriki's and captured Greater Demons? Who had done this- that's what he should have asked L'Yrishka- if she knew- if she cared, if he had been in the proper mind to ask her, anyway.

\We have a ways to go,/ Tsorn was saying. \They took him far from here./

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The blond demon stood motionless in the middle of the cave, eyes narrowed, ears perked as he listened for movement above him. The sound of human life was faint, but he was sure there were still humans in the series of caves, in different places, judging by the varied level of voices. His eyes opened and looked toward Gaara's mostly ruined clothing, then down at his fist, which held the jinchuuriki's teeth. He didn't particularly care for clothing, but he needed somewhere safe to put the teeth, and if humans had ever created anything useful, it was pockets. He picked up the torn grayish-green pants- an ugly color- and pulled it on, carefully placing the teeth inside the pocket, smoothing the fabric down as his eyes filled with tears again. He sniffed, rubbing his eyes and turned his bloody gaze toward the bent bars.

He could slip through them now. Moving toward the bars, he turned to a left profile, slipping through, his dirty hair standing on end as he felt the powerful vibrations that were running through those bars. He backed away from them, looking up the length of them to see the very top wrapped with large scrolls, with human words written on them, completely unfamiliar- though he could only recognize the word _seal _amongst it. His lips curled as he turned away from the prison with a snarl, red eyes glowing as he charged down the rocky hall, heading toward the sound of voices. Rounding a sharp corner, he came upon two human males, both dressed in those red swirly cloaks, and he did not stop as he came upon them, swinging a clawed fist at one, catching him in the face and removing his jaw completely from his head. The other attempted to jump back, pulling out a kunai, but also forgetting that he was in an enclosed hallway, collided into the rocky wall behind him, giving Sunny the chance to ram his fist into his chest cavity, gripping his heart- as he was an expert at finding such things, and pulling it out. The human made a bloody choking sound before dropping lifelessly to the ground. Sunny brought the still beating heart to his mouth and bit into it as he leaned down to examine the face of the human, seeing that it was neither the one that looked like Sasuke-boy, or the blue skinned one. The other- though half his face was missing, proved to be the same. Scowling, his swallowed the rest of the heart before removing the other one and devouring that one as he raced toward the other voices.

In moments he came upon a vast cavern, the scent of Shukaku's chakra still in the air, but he was no where to be seen. Sunny's eyes darted about wildly before falling on the bluish- skinned human, Kisame, who was standing upon a rocky ledge far above him. Standing next to him was a shadowy human shape, near see- through. Sunny narrowed his eyes and sniffed the air, only scenting Kisame, Shukaku's fading scent, and unfamiliar chakra, coming from the shadowy thing.

"Where's Shukaku?" He growled, hopping up toward the human, teeth bared, claws growing longer.

"How did you get out of your cage?" The human asked with a frown as he leaped away from Sunny's chakra claws. "That bastard Zetsu should have kept you nice and quiet until the others arrived." He blew a blast of water at the blond, who dodged and came forward, managing to get within physical striking distance, before being blocked by the scaly sword. It tore at the flesh of his arm as it passed over him, making him hiss at the feeling of his peeling flesh, but also as his chakra hands dissipated. He hated that thing with a passion. He was blown back by another blast of water shaped like a shark, massive water like jaws digging into his torso and blowing him back into the rocky walls. Sunny howled as he felt his spine and ribs snap under the pressure, and he flopped to the ground, gasping in pain as he felt his bones jar and grate where they were broken.

"Admittedly, this all was very unexpected," the shark human was saying as he dropped down and walked casually toward Sunny. "We're about two years ahead of schedule, and to capture two jinchuuriki instead of one! Well, we're going to need all the other members to remove the nine-tails from you." Sunny's lips turned up as he felt all the bones realign themselves, and the flesh regrow along his arm. "That's why I need you to stay nice and quiet until they all get here." The human was close enough now- Sunny leaped up and lashed forward, driving his claws into the human's shoulder, ducking as the scaly sword swung at his face, peeling half of his scalp off as it grazed him. Blood poured down his face as the human leaped back, free hand moving to do a jutsu.

"Suiton: Daikōdan no Jutsu !" Another blast of shark shaped water threw Sunny back, far down a tunnel, where he was dragged, sputtering in frustration before the torrent stopped, leaving him rolling for a bit before he came to a stop. He punched the ground in anger and fluidly got to his feet, wiping water and blood from his face, patting his head, feeling fresh scalp and the beginning of hair regrowth. Then he patted his right pocket, feeling for Gaara's teeth, feeling some relief in the mounting frustration with the water blowing human. Sunny made a few clicking warbles, his chakra tail lashing at the walls in agitation as he rushed back up the tunnel toward the blue-tinged human.

He was not leaving this place without taking vital pieces of that human with him.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tsorn paused in the trees, staring across the expanse of rocky earth that lay before him, his glowing yellow eyes trained upon the slightly rising land. Behind him, Dyadem floated silently. For two days they had made steady progress westward, where the blood bond claimed Sunny was. The two hadn't said much to one another- though this was nothing new- Tsorn preferred Sunny to be away from Dyadem's influence, despite knowing that he would not be able to rescue the blond brat without the Greater Demon.

A faint wave of familiar _source_ came to them, and he resisted the urge to cringe.

*It is the human with the water techniques,* Dyadem murmured coolly through his mind. *No doubt Sunny is fighting him, if that is his _source_ that I also feel.*

\We should go,/ Tsorn suggested, dropping down to the earth, getting on all fours and making his way from the copse of trees and amongst the rocks. Was it cowardly that he was practically slinking his way toward his kin, instead of leaping and bounding? He half expected to hear some remark about it from the blue demon, but glancing behind himself showed that the blue demon was also floating low to the ground, inches from the gravel.

Tsorn sniffed the rocks as he went, feeling all that _source_ get stronger and stronger as they made their way up the steadily rising terrain, looking for a hole that would lead them down into the rocky caverns that he could sense beneath them.

*Stop,* Dyadem's mellow voice drifted through his head suddenly, and Tsorn froze behind a rather large rock, turning to look at the floating demon. Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, he heard the sound of human feet, then a voice.

"We could have been here a day ago if you hadn't insisted on collecting that stupid bounty," the human was saying, and Tsorn peeked over the rock to see two humans approaching, both dressed in the same red swirly cloth. One had silver hair and purple eyes, while the others' head was wrapped, and a mask covered his face from the bridge of his nose downward, his eyes being the only thing revealed, green and red. The silver haired one continued to speak.

"And it seems we're in the process of missing a freakin' battle too! Shit yeah, I wanna get my hands on a jinchuuriki, sacrifice it to Jashin!"

"They said they captured the one-tailed demon and the nine-tails, and it is the nine-tails we are supposed to be extracting," the bandaged one replied.

Dyadem's sigh wafted through Tsorn's head, startling him into glancing at the floating blue ball. *I sense that these humans will be difficult to dispose of, and I do not wish for Sunny to meet them. You go on ahead, and I will stall these filthy creatures. Get Sunny as far from here as you can.* Tsorn nodded, backing away from the rock and slipping away, searching nervously for an entrance, seeing a flash of blue light behind him as he turned a corner, knowing that Dyadem had taken a different form, but not glancing back to see which it was. His blood burned, the connection between him and Sunny stronger as he got closer.

"Kakuzu look! A naked guy!" he heard the silver haired human say just as he noticed steam rising from the rocks. He moved forward quickly, spying a large hole in the rocks, large enough for him to squeeze his bulk through. Slipping down into the rocky earth, Tsorn carefully made his way toward the sound of battle, hearing Sunny's enraged growls and hisses, the scent of blood and water in the air, both human and demon. Coming into a clearing, he spotted both of them up in the rocks, Sunny attempting to tear the human apart with his _source_ hands, while the strange sword-like objected sucked it away. Both opponents moved quickly through the air, cutting away at one another as Tsorn waded his way through a torrent of water. Sunny paused briefly, doing the foreboding hand movements that humans did that brought forth techniques, and multiple copies of him burst forth, all attacking the human in a flurry of blond hair and red tails. The human deflected them all, swinging that scaled sword around, absorbing them away as they attempted to rend his flesh.

Digging his claws into the crevices of the rocks, he made his way up the side of the cavern, not unlike a lizard, moving away from the water and as close to Sunny and the human as he could get without being noticed, his yellow eyes following the blond demon, who was clearly in one of his rages, judging by the complete redness of his eyes, and the long sharp canines that on may occasions attempted to snap at the human's flesh. His tail was a writhing mess behind him, also making multiple attempts to grab the slippery human, who, though injured, did not seem to be too bothered by the fight. This human was powerful, knew too much for Sunny to handle on his own- Tsorn knew this, knew that he had to get the youngling as far from the dealings of humans as he possibly could. It was his duty- he was the pack Leader, because the line of succession had come down to him, with no Tkaa to take Krik's place.

The fight came closer to him suddenly- the human had jumped back, dodging one of Sunny's _source_ hands, bringing him near Tsorn, who had been doing a remarkable job of blending in with the rocks. Tsorn took that moment to leap toward the human from behind, his powerful legs launching him into the air. He collided with the human just as it became aware of his presence, half turning, bringing up that painful sword to block his open clawed swing. Tsorn hit both blade and human, knocking it into the human's chest, hearing the satisfying crunch of bones even as he felt the familiar burn of scraped flesh. The human was knocked forcefully back to the rocky, water filled ground, only to meet Sunny there- the youngling collided into the human, mouth gaping with over large canines- and the two rolled in a flurry of limbs, Sunny's rage filled shrieks bouncing off the walls of the cavern as Tsorn landed and headed for the two, the water slowing him down just as the youngling's shrieks were halted quite suddenly and alarmingly. The two broke away, the human leaping up and away, a bloody mess, one hand holding what looked like a gaping wound in its neck.

Sunny, on his own feet, had staggered back, looking startled, confused, mouth open in an almost startled 'o', blood pouring from his mouth, his nose, and his eyes. As Tsorn reached him, the youngling brought a hand to his face, making a strange choking noise, bloody eyes looking confused. Above them on a ledge, the human was cursing wetly.

Tsorn stopped in front of the blond, picking him up so that he was at eye-level, and blanched in shock as he realized what had caused the bleeding. The human had rammed one of those shape things- a kunai, if he could remember- through the underside of Sunny's chin...the top point was poking out the top of Sunny's skull. Without thinking of the consequences, Tsorn gripped it with his claws and pulled it free, causing the youngling to gurgle and grab at his head, body spasming madly, eyes rolling. Tsorn tucked him under an arm, turning to look up at the human, who was still on the ledge, gripping his bloody neck, staring down at them as Sunny writhed in his grasp. Tsorn bared his teeth at the human, then rushed off down the cavern, back the way he had come, heading for the exit, and was none too surprised when they were blasted forward by a force of water- courtesy of the human- and he lost his grip on Sunny as he was tossed into the rocky walls and dragged along by the tide, until the rush stopped. He staggered wetly to his feet, head dizzy, but noticing gratefully that the water had actually brought them right up to the exit. He looked around for Sunny, and found him not too far away, pulling himself to his feet with the help of the walls, a shaky hand coming to his head in a cradling motion- and yet he was still trying to move back down the cavern, back toward the water wielding human.

\Absolutely not!/ Tsorn hissed, leaping forward and grabbing the youngling's arm. \We are _leaving_!/

With surprising strength, Sunny yanked his arm from Tsorn's grip and attempted to move forward just as the walls trembled and cracked around them.

\Don't.../ The youngling slurred, but Tsorn was having none of it. He could see the blood still streaming from Sunny's ears and down his neck.

Squaring his broad shoulders, he mustered all the authority he had and spoke. \Enough. Sun, you are to come away with me. _Now._/ His blood burned, his throat burned at his own words, and Sunny stiffened up, back going straight, blood dripping faster from his ears as he turning rigidly toward the brown demon. It was the blood bond, the command that Tsorn had over those that belonged to his pack, that were under his _authority_. It was working on Sunny.

Not taking the moment for granted, Tsorn turned and leaped up to the hole, crawling through the hole, and not having to look back to know that Sunny was following him silently. The sunlight was blinding, but welcome, and after blinking several times, he quickly leaped in the opposite direction of where he had left Dyadem, the earth was shaking madly around and beneath them, and he did not bother to look back or around. His duty was to get Sunny as far away as possible. They descended the rocky slopes quickly, making a dash for the forest, feet pounding as they hit the first copse of trees, his blood burning, the bond burning, the earth behind them crumbling.

The sun was setting when Tsorn deemed it safe to slow down, believing that they were far from the human, safe enough from being tracked, and he halted suddenly to a stop, his blood no longer burning. But then Sunny collided into him, and blinding pain radiated like a shock down Tsorn's back as Sunny sank his teeth into his spine. The Lesser Demon howled in pain, arm reaching back and grabbing the closest thing- which happened to be the youngling's head, yanked him off, feeling flesh and meat strip away in the demon's maw. He tossed the blond away as he hunched and steeled himself over the pain, appalled by the intensity of it as the youngling crashed into the trunk of a tree. He quickly staggered to his feet though, spitting Tsorn's flesh from his bloody mouth and turning equally bloody eyes on him, red tear tracks down his face.

\Never again,/ the youngling hissed, voice deep like a proper demon's should. \Never will you do that again./ He bared bloody teeth at the brown demon, blood still leaking from his ears as he slinked back into the foliage, out of sight except for a deep rattling, that slowly faded as the youngling put some distance between them.

Tsorn groaned and scaled a tree, settling in for a healing rest, because he was going to need yet another one- because he knew, from experience, that a bite from Sunny tended to burn burn burn for quite some time. And as he settled into an unmovable state, wish he could leer the way human's faces did, because no doubt, the water wielding human would suffer much more from Sunny's bite, even if he healed the actual wound that Sunny had made.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Once Tsorn had moved away, Dyadem flashed into his human form and leaped up on the rocks, standing before the two humans, who both halted in complete surprise, staring at him with widened eyes. Then the silver haired one broke out in wild laughter. "Kakuzu look! A naked guy!" He pointed enthusiastically at Dyadem and burst into more laughter. Dyadem looked down at his human body and sighed. He didn't care for human cloth, and yet it seemed the first thing that human's noticed whenever he popped up, and he remembered how incensed that human female had been when he had approached this way. The human was still laughing, eyes filling up with moisture. The other human did not seem to think it was amusing at all, staring at him with unusual eyes, red and green- he had eaten many humans before, and none of the sclera of their eyes had been red- albeit, they usually _could_ be seen that way if he choked the human and all the veins in their eyes popped, but this one looked like they were natural. Curious.

Dyadem sniffed the air, letting his nose take in the scent of them- both smelled like blood, and the one with the strange eyes had a slightly rotting scent about him- in fact, Dyadem was sure he had, or was carrying something that was in the process of decaying. He tilted his head, his starlight black eyes examining the human carefully, but was quick to move out the way as the other humans' strange pole-like weapon with the three blades swung at him. He looked at the human with less curiosity, which the human seemed to sense, and this seemed to irritate it.

"Alright naked guy, who the hell are you, and why are you trying to stop us from going down there?"

Dyadem cocked his head in birdlike manner. "Does it matter?" he asked, and watched as the human became more incensed.

"Leave this to me, Kakuzu. I believe I've found a heathen worthy of sacrifice." He stepped forward, grinning madly. Dyadem had no idea what a _heathen_ was...

"We have no time for games," the human named Kakuzu replied shortly, and suddenly his foot connected with Dyadem's face, knocking the blue demon several feet away. He twisted and landed lightly on his feet, and quickly twisted away, avoiding another lightning fast blow from the human. The possessor allowed his own momentum to swing himself about and aimed a kick for the human's ribs. He avoided it neatly just as Dyadem felt the cold of a blade pass through his shoulder and part of his chest, impaling him completely through. He ignored it as Kakuzu swung a kunai at his neck, jabbing the human forcefully in the wrist, relishing the cracking of bone as the hand involuntarily released the kunai. The human jerked back, Dyadem advanced forward, the three blades slipping from shoulder and chest, ignoring the cackling of the silver haired human behind him as he attacked the human named Kakuzu. This human was fast, so very fast- most of his blows did not land- not that he cared. He was not interested in winning the fight- only stalling them so Tsorn could get Sunny away from the area.

"Decay," he murmured in humantongue to the human. "That is what you smell like. Decay."

The strange red and green eyes narrowed just as the the other human howled from behind him- "Where is your blood?!"

Dyadem paused in his attacks, looking back at the silver haired human. "What?" He dodged another blow from the human Kakuzu and back away as the silver one moved forward, purple eyes glaring at him accusingly and pointing a finger up at him.

"I stabbed you! Yet you aren't bleeding!"

Dyadem's grey lips turned up slightly as he looked down on the lowly creature. *Filthy human,* he replied in their heads. *I do not bleed.* Both human's seemed duly startled, the silver one seemed enraged by this.

"How can I sacrifice you to Jashin without blood, you naked bastard?!" He swung the strange weapon at Dyadem again. The blue demon snatched it out of the air and yanked it toward himself, jerking the silver haired human forward. The Kakuzu human was making a move, his arms disconnected from his shoulders- quite shockingly actually, and grabbed the leg of the silver one, as he hadn't bothered to release the weapon, halting him in the air.

And quite suddenly, as if to make the situation more unsettling, the rocks around them exploded, and Dyadem was being torn away by water. Dyadem was tossed into a fissure, water almost dragging down into the caves, except his human fingers quickly morphed into claws that hooked onto the tiny crevices of the rocks, and he held on until the water passed on, and he was fit to groan about the familiarity of it all. He was done with water, and any human that used it. Period. Flashing back to his original form, Dyadem made his way out of the fissure, the sound of crumbling rock greeting him- the whole area was collapsing in on itself, he saw this as he rose higher into the air, and spotted the two humans quickly escaping the area as the earth seemed to cave inward.

Dyadem floated toward the direction he knew Tsorn had gone when they had parted ways and hovered there. Had they escaped?

**_XXXXXXXXXXX_**

_Sunny's acting strange,_ Tsorn thought to himself for the fifth time that night. After coming out of the _healing rest,_ he had quickly gone to devour a few lingering animals and had relished in the relief of the burning that Sunny's bite had caused now that it was healed. Then he had gone and looked for the youngling, and had found him crouching on a fallen tree trunk, blood still leaking from his ears, red eyes focused on something in his right hand, his right thumb moving over it repetitiously. There was a whistling wheeze coming constantly from his small chest- it sounded strangely like the sound whimpering dogs make, and he edged over to see what was the object of Sunny's devoted attention.

In his hand was a handful of pearly human teeth. And suddenly he knew it would be a real bad idea to ask what had happened to the red haired human creature. A real bad idea.

**xxxxxxxxxxxx**

**TBC**

**I must, of course apologize for many things- one being the sheer lateness of this update- near three years. Also the quality of this chapter is also poor, spelling and grammar- being that I've become terribly rusty in the last few years at writing- apologies for that as well. Also the time-line is completely off from the manga, which is okay since this is AU. Also, the whole Gaara death thing was completely cheesy, but I couldn't figure out how to make it better, so please cringe and bear with me on that one.**


End file.
